Omnia Vincit Amor
by LeahHeartsSirius
Summary: Hermione has innocently loved Remus since she was 13. He finally admitted his love during the final battle, just before his death. Heartbroken after seeing both Remus and Harry fallen, Hermione is given a chance to change it all. Time Travel Fic. Enjoy!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything in the Potterverse.

Prologue:

Harry, Ron and Hermione had been through many trials in their young lives. They'd fought trolls, basilisks, and dark wizards. They'd faced all manner of dangerous creatures, even hitching a ride on a dragon to save their skins. They'd been tortured, hated, betrayed and mistrusted by many at different times during their short lives.

They'd also experienced love and friendship in a way that few others have. It's the kind of bond formed between people who have risked their lives for each other. People who've saved one another time and again. It's the kind of bond that can overcome practically anything. Animosity over a missing pet that turns out to be a dark wizard. Distrust and jealousy after a name is spit from the Goblet of Fire. Anger over being neglected after one watches another person die and an enemy reborn. Depression after witnessing a godfather die. Resentment and sadness over abandonment of friends during a life threatening hunt. Yes, The Golden Trio shared a bond unlike any other. Their friendship had been tested many times over, but they'd always found their way back to each other in the end.

The past year had been the most difficult they'd faced yet, and that _is_ saying something. They'd been given a mission that had, at many times, seemed impossible.

Destroy the Horcruxes.

It sounds easy enough, right? Unfortunately, they'd been sent on this mission with little intelligence. They didn't know what they were looking for, nor did they have the slightest clue where to even begin. Dumbledore had kept so many secrets from them, basically sending them out to blindly save the world.

Their bond had been tested and strained more in the last year than all other years combined. They'd spent most of their time half-starved wondering through the woods aimlessly. Hope dwindled more every day, and the malignant soul they had to wear around their necks didn't help either.

Ron had left, fed up with their lack of progress. This had been a very difficult blow for the remaining two. They were a trio, not a duo, after all. Ron had eventually returned, revealing the true nature of the Deluminator he'd inherited from their task master. The reunion hadn't been an easy one, but, like in the past, they'd let go of the hurt and forgiven one another. Their bond had proven strong enough to survive its latest test, and Ron's return marked the destruction of the Horcrux they'd been forced to carry.

It wasn't long before the newly reunited Trio learned of the abduction of their friend Luna. This hit Ron particularly hard as he was fairly in love with the girl. He'd never told her, and was afraid he'd never get the opportunity. Hermione tried to offer comfort. "We'll find her, Ron," she'd said.

"How can you know that, Hermione? We can't even find any more bloody Horcruxes!" he'd snapped.

"The Horcruxes could be anywhere, Ron. There are only so many places they'd keep Luna. We'll find her," Hermione soothed.

Most people seemed to think Hermione and Ron belonged together. That after the war was won the two would get married and have lots of ginger haired babies. Sure, the two bickered like an old married couple, but they'd never had _those_ types of feelings for each other. The truth was, Hermione had been in love with her third year DADA instructor since she was thirteen.

Remus Lupin was 19 years older than Hermione, but she'd never really been _age appropriate_. Her mother liked to say that she was born middle aged, and she'd been unable to connect with boys her age at the level required for romantic love. She'd never found one that understood her passion for knowledge, the excitement she felt from learning something new. The rush every Gryffindor male felt when they'd won the Quidditch Cup third year was the kind of feeling that surged through her veins when she made a new discovery. The girl had practically orgasmed when she figured out the Protean charm used for the DA coins fifth year.

She knew Remus wouldn't consider her a romantic interest. It would have been morally wrong to do so before she came of age. So she bided her time, creating a solid foundation of friendship over the years. She'd owl him a few times a month, discussing various academic topics. They'd get into some pretty furious debates in their letters, continuing them in person when they saw each other during holidays.

She'd stayed at Grimmauld Place during the summer before she turned 16. She'd grown into a beautiful young woman. Her light brown hair had calmed itself a bit, looking more wild and untamed and less "bushy". It made her look like a powerful, edgily beautiful woman as opposed the mousy girl she'd been in the past. Puberty had been kind, giving her a full C-cup, slender waist, womanly hips and a rather nice derriere.

Sirius had noticed the change in her, and teased her relentlessly. He'd tell Ron how he'd have to keep an eye on her at school. He expected her to turn _a lot_ of heads when they went back. She'd just huff and ignore him, but she noticed how his words made Remus uncomfortable. His actions even more so. Sirius had taken to flirting with her shamelessly, telling her she'd be of age soon while wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Hermione knew the man was just teasing, but she could see that it bothered Remus. This was especially apparent as the full moon drew closer. He became very testy with Sirius, often snapping at the man to leave her alone.

He also stayed closer to her physically. Ron was typically on one side while Sirius usually sat on the other. The days leading to the full moon Remus would always take the seat next to her, pushing Sirius away. Some people might be put off by the behavior, but Hermione relished in it. It made her believe that Remus may have similar feelings. Feelings the wolf was less willing to suppress than the man. That summer she decided to tell Remus her true feelings on her 17th birthday. She wouldn't waste any time once she'd come of age.

Professor Snape taught Hermione the Wolfsbane potion that summer. She took over brewing it for Remus. She painstakingly brewed it to perfection every month, owling it to him two weeks before the full moon. She brewed with dedication, pouring all her love into the cauldron, hoping he'd be able to feel some of it when he consumed it. She knew the process so thoroughly by the end of her fifth year; she probably could have brewed it in her sleep. Sometimes she did, in her dreams.

Everything had gone completely sideways that year. They'd broken into the Department of Mysteries, against Hermione's better judgment, and she'd been seriously injured. She didn't know until later that Sirius had fallen through The Veil.

She'd woken up two weeks after the incident in the middle of the night. She'd felt a warm hand loosely holding her own. When she finally managed to focus she saw Remus with his head pillowed on his arms, one hand weakly grasping hers in his sleep.

His heightened senses had noticed her wakefulness, bringing about his own. The pain she witnessed the moment he opened his eyes was heartbreaking. "Hermione," he whispered brokenly.

"Remus. What happened? Is everyone alright? Harry?" she'd asked, frantically looking around the hospital wing. There were a few occupied beds, but she couldn't make out their occupants in the dark.

"He's fine, love. But…" his broken voice died in his throat. He took a few deep breaths, trying to get his emotions under control.

"Padfoot…" he said. "He's…he's gone." The man placed his head in her lap, gently embracing her as he sobbed quietly.

She'd been quite stunned. She didn't even know Sirius had come to the Ministry. She gently ran her fingers through Remus' hair, letting her own tears fall in sorrow. Sorrow for Sirius. He'd spent twelve years in Azkaban Prison only to be banished to Grimmauld Prison, and now he was gone. Sorrow for Remus. He'd lost his last best friend, leaving him the lone Marauder. Sorrow for Harry. He'd lost the only parental figure he'd ever truly known. There was just so much _loss_. It was all so very _wrong_.

Remus had shut himself off from her after that night. She'd send him a letter every week, but never received anything in return. Not even a "thank you" for the Wolfsbane. She hadn't seen him much over the summer, as he'd been negotiating with the werewolves, but he kept his distance when they did see each other. It tore at her heart, but she understood that he was grieving.

She'd still told him how she felt on her seventeenth birthday, in a letter. He didn't respond. He never did. She kept writing anyway.

It all changed again the next summer. Dumbledore had been killed and Bill and Fleur's wedding had been crashed by Death Eaters. Hermione escaped with Ron and Harry to begin the tedious task of searching for the Horcruxes. She hadn't been able to say goodbye to Remus and she couldn't communicate with him at all. She missed him terribly, even if her only interactions with him the past year had been one sided.

The hunt picked up very quickly after the group learned of Luna's abduction. They'd been captured by snatchers and taken to Malfoy Manor. Hermione's promise was fulfilled in the dark mansion. They'd found Luna. They even managed to rescue her, with the help of Dobby the house-elf. The Trio was also rescued by Dobby, but not before Hermione endured Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black's Cruciatus. Not before a few more scars were added to her young body. But most importantly, not before Bellatrix unwittingly gave the genius under her wand vital information about where she might find a Horcrux.

Dobby had died rescuing the prisoners. They had all been heartbroken at the loss of their friend and savior, but they didn't have the luxury of time. They had to move on. Not before Ron confessed his feelings for Luna, however. She informed him she'd already known how he felt and that she returned his feelings as well. Ron was deliriously happy.

The intelligence learned from Lestrange ended with The Trio breaking into Gringotts Bank and escaping on the aforementioned dragon. They'd found the fourth Horcrux, leaving only one left to identify and find. The sixth soul piece was in Nagini, and they knew they'd find the snake with the man. She'd have to wait. The seventh was in Voldemort himself.

The Trio had left for Hogwarts after acquiring Hufflepuff's Cup from the Lestrange Vault. They were almost certain Voldemort would hide a Horcrux there. Unfortunately they stumbled into many of their former peers in the Room of Requirement. They had spent the year in a different kind of hell and were ready to take their school back.

The Trio wasn't ready, though. Voldemort couldn't be killed just yet. Hermione and Ron sneaked into the Chamber of Secrets to acquire some basilisk fangs. They'd destroyed the Cup.

Four horcruxes destroyed.

While they completed their mission, Harry had realized where the Diadem was hidden with the help of Luna, The Grey Lady and the statue of Rowena in Ravenclaw Tower. Unfortunately, the Carrows had discovered Harry's presence in the school and alerted Voldemort. Harry knew a fight was unavoidable at that point. He could hardly ask Voldemort to give him a bit more time to ensure all the Horcruxes were destroyed before they had their final showdown.

Hermione and Ron used the Marauder's Map to locate Harry. They watched him disappear from the Map on the seventh floor and knew he'd entered the Room of Requirement. They were separated as they made their way up to the seventh floor corridor, getting caught up in the battle that raged around them. After defeating her attackers, Hermione began to make her way to Harry on her own, hoping to find Ron there as well.

Upon turning a corner she ran smack into Remus. He'd steadied her before she could fall, looking into her eyes with heartbreak and longing. He quickly pulled her into an empty classroom, warding it closed. "Hermione," he said breathlessly. "I love you, too."

She smiled brilliantly at his confession and he slowly leaned toward the girl in his arms, pressing his lips to hers. She snaked her hands up his chest and into his hair, pulling him close so their bodies were flush against one another. They didn't have much time to spare in the middle of the battle, so Remus quickly swiped his tongue across her lower lip, requesting the entrance she immediately granted.

The deepened kiss lasted several long moments as they explored each other's mouths, caressing each other's tongues and holding each other close. When they needed a breath Remus pulled back from the kiss and placed his forehead to hers, locking his blue eyes onto her cinnamon ones. "When all this is over, I'd like for us to be together. I love you, Hermione. I don't care if people will say I'm too old, or dangerous, or poor. If you'll have me, I promise to love you with everything inside me and spend my life doing everything in my power to make you happy."

Hermione felt warmth spread through her chest at his words. "I love you too, Remus. I want to be with you. Always."

His scarred face lit up in a smile at her response. "Please be careful, love. You are so precious to me."

"You too," she replied.

He gave her one last quick kiss before pulling her into his embrace. They then left the classroom to march back into battle.

Hermione reached the Room of Requirement shortly after Ron. They found Harry in the version of the Room of Requirement where one can find hidden things. He'd gone there to find the Diadem Horcrux. They'd been discovered by Malfoy, Goyle and Crabbe, the latter attempting to use the Fiendfyre curse. It is an extremely dangerous curse, creating a cursed fire that will destroy anything in its path and is _very_ difficult to control.

The Trio had escaped the room on brooms, rescuing Goyle and Malfoy and leaving the Horcrux to burn. They were unable to save Crabbe, and he perished in his own cursed fire.

Five horcruxes destroyed.

After destroying the Diadem Harry had a vision that drew The Trio to the Shrieking Shack where they witnessed Voldemort speak about the Elder Wand and order Nagini to kill Snape. She'd bitten his neck, ensuring he'd have a most painful death, before slithering away with her master.

Harry approached the dying man. Hermione and Ron had tried to stop him, but Harry had sneaked out of the secret passage and was on Snape before they could pull him back. Just before the life left Snape's eyes he'd given Harry some memories.

They'd quickly left the Shack, making their way back to the school. It was eerily quiet when they heard the voice of Voldemort echoing through the night. He had commended their fighting and vowed he would spare the opposition if they'd simply hand over Harry. He'd given them an hour.

It was a somber Trio that made their way to The Great Hall. They were not prepared for what they saw when the doors opened. The tables were pushed back and the dead had been placed in the middle of the room. Ron quickly ran to his family, seeing his brother Fred amongst the fallen.

Hermione glanced about the room, searching for Remus. She couldn't find him anywhere. She then looked over the victims and felt her heart break into a million tiny shards, ripping her to pieces from the inside out. Remus was lying with the dead. She quickly ran to his side, desperately searching for a pulse. Nothing. He was gone.

She felt a horrible anguish rip through her soul as she cried over his still body. "You were supposed to be safe," she whispered brokenly. "We were supposed to be together. Finally find our happiness. I can't lose you Remus, please. I love you. I need you. Please don't leave me." She continued begging him to come back for many long minutes before pulling her knees to her chest, grasping one of his hands in both of hers, and rocking back and forth in tears.

Harry had watched the scene play out in front of him. He saw Hermione crying over his father's last friend. The final Marauder, slain. He'd known Hermione loved Remus, and it broke his heart to watch her mourn his loss. He saw Ron and the rest of the Weasleys crying over Fred. George had lost his other half. There were so many people, just gone.

Turning around, Harry made his way up to the Headmaster's office to view the memories. He'd seen everything Snape had done to protect him. The man had sacrificed his whole life to the destruction of Voldemort. He'd killed Dumbledore at the Headmaster's request. He'd loved Harry's mother deeply. His Patronus was a doe. He was a hero. Still a git, yes. But also a hero.

Harry also discovered the truth about himself. _He_ was the final Horcrux. Neither can live while the other survives. Harry Potter had to die. He'd _always_ had to die. It was not a pleasant realization, but thinking about those people mourning their loved ones in the Great Hall was enough reason to walk willingly to his own death. He'd die for Hermione. He'd die for Ron. He'd die for Ginny. He'd die so Voldemort couldn't live.

Hermione was still rocking in sorrow at Remus' side when she heard Voldemort's magically enhanced voice telling everyone that Harry Potter was dead. She couldn't believe it. Wouldn't believe it. The gasps heard throughout the hall proved that others felt the same way.

As a group, the remaining soldiers of the Light filed to the front of the castle. Hermione stopped, just inside the great doors. Cries of disbelief rang through the crowd when Voldemort approached with a distraught Hagrid carrying a limp, unmoving Harry Potter.

Emotions flooded Hermione's body, overwhelming her. She sank to her knees and allowed all the anger, sorrow and injustice she felt rolling through her to flow through her hands as she slapped them to the stone floor. "NO!" she screamed.

She expected to feel the sting of the stone slapping her palms, and she wasn't disappointed. What she didn't expect was the surge of magic that flowed back from the castle into her body. It filled her up, causing her to feel lightheaded. People had always speculated that Hogwarts was sentient. She knew in that moment that it was true. Hogwarts was speaking to her through magic, compelling her.

_You can change it. Time is not static, it can be altered. Changed for the better._

Hermione _knew_ this wasn't her own thought. She'd read the laws of time travel many times, memorizing them. _Terrible things happen to those who meddle with time, Miss Granger. _Those had been Dumbledore's words.

_He was wrong. If the travel is performed by certain magics time can be changed. The traveler will no longer be tied to their past future. They become a part of the past. Even if their parents are killed before they're born, their existence will not be affected. There will be no paradoxes. You can change it, Miss Granger. Follow the magic._

Hermione, having nothing left to lose, obeyed Hogwart's order. She followed the path the magic wanted her to take. She was in the dungeon, far away from the action above, and didn't see Neville kill Nagini or Harry disappear. She didn't know the battle wasn't lost. That Harry lived. She followed the magic.

It led her deep under the castle, well below the dungeon level used for Potions class and the Slytherin dorms. She finally entered a dark cell, which lit immediately upon her entry. There was a black vortex in the middle of the space, swirling like a black hole. The magic wanted her to step into it. She hesitated for only a moment, believing whatever fate lie in that great dark expanse would be better than any she'd find in a world dominated by Tom _bloody_ Riddle.

Plus she was a Gryffindor. It's how they roll.

Taking a deep breath Hermione approached her destiny swirling mysteriously in the middle of the deepest part of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her steps didn't even falter as she plunged through the black vortex that swallowed her whole.

The whole experience was so quick she didn't even have time to panic. She was surrounded by complete darkness for a few seconds before she was dropped from the vortex, which was now located on the ceiling. The drop was only about eight feet, and Hogwarts had seemingly charmed the stone floor with a cushioning charm. The vortex closed the moment she hit the floor.

Well, that was anti-climactic.

She quickly stood and took stock of her person. She had many injuries, but none of them life-threatening, and all of them obtained previously in the battle. The vortex hadn't damaged her at all.

She no longer felt the draw of Hogwarts, so she began to make her way out of the dungeons of her own accord. When she emerged in the Entrance Hall she immediately noticed the state of the castle. It was pristine. Completely undamaged.

She didn't quite make it five steps before she was approached by a man. A very familiar man. "Professor Dumbledore?" she asked in disbelief. She knew she'd time travelled, but she had no idea how far back. She wasn't exactly shocked to see him; he'd only been dead a year, after all. What surprised her was his appearance. He looked a bit younger than when she knew him. How far back had Hogwarts sent her?

"Indeed, Miss. Hogwarts informed me that she'd sent someone here and that I should aide her in any way I can. She doesn't communicate often, so you'll understand that I was most intrigued. Even more so now. You look like you've been through quite a battle, my dear. Please, let's speak in my office."

Hermione nodded and followed him, silently vowing to change it. To save Harry. To save Fred. To save Remus. By Merlin, Remus Lupin would live.

**A/N:**

**Hello everyone! Thank you for stopping by my little story here. As you can see from my user name, I have much love for one Sirius Black. However, I recently discovered the Hermione/Remus ship. **_**Geminus Terra**_** and **_**A Little Flip **_**anyone? Anyway, there are woefully few stories with this ship (compared to other ships) so I thought I'd give it a go. **

**This is my first M rated story. It will eventually include lemons. I'll give you plenty of warnings so if it's not your thing, you can skip it.**

**Now, I'm unsure about the posting schedule. I have two other WIPs that are my top priority, but I couldn't get this idea out of my head. I wanted to post something to see if there was any interest. Reviews always inspire me to write more quickly, though. Hint, Hint. Nudge, Nudge. :)**

**Please let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

"Toothflossing Stringmints," Dumbledore said when they reached the stone gargoyle guarding the Headmaster's office. Hermione couldn't help but smile sadly, remembering her parents' excitement over the candy.

She followed the man up the stairs and into his circular office. There were fewer trinkets lying around, but she recognized some from her time. What really caught her eye was the brilliant red bird perched in the corner. She approached him slowly with a genuine smile on her face. "Hello Fawkes. You're looking quite beautiful this afternoon," she cooed while gently stroking the feathers on the phoenix's head.

Dumbledore watched the stranger with interest. The young girl looked like she'd been living rough. She seemed to be rather malnourished and had blood, dirt and grime covering her clothes and face. He had been rather rattled when he heard Hogwarts reach out to him. Such an occurrence had not happened in many years.

When the magic led him to a battered child he'd been immediately wary. Dark times were approaching, of that he was sure. One couldn't be too careful about a strange school aged British girl showing up out of nowhere. He hadn't immediately felt capable of trusting her, regardless of the school's magic influencing him to do so. However, seeing his familiar lean into her touch as she scratched his head settled many of his doubts. Fawkes would know whether the girl posed a threat to the Light. He would not be trilling to her so affectionately if this girl was a threat to his school, students or cause.

He chuckled quietly to himself as he felt the school settle indignantly. Of course this girl didn't pose a threat to the school if Hogwarts herself brought the child here.

"May I inquire how you are familiar with Fawkes, Miss...?"

"Granger, sir. Hermione Granger," she replied before she audibly sighed and approached the proffered chair across from his desk. "It's quite a long story, actually."

"Well, we've got a week before the students are filling these hallowed halls for another term. I've got plenty of time to hear your tale," he said kindly. "Lemon drop?"

Hermione smiled. Some things never change. "No, thank you, sir. I'm afraid I need to start this conversation with some questions rather than answers." He eyed her curiously but did not speak. She took this as her cue to get on with it. "What is the date, sir?"

He raised an eyebrow as he answered, "August 25th." His eyed twinkled knowingly. He knew she was from the future, but he was going to make her say it.

She nearly rolled her eyes at his dramatics. "And the year?"

"Why, it is 1977, of course," he replied jovially.

Hermione could actually feel herself pale. 1977? Bloody Hell! She wasn't even born yet! She then remembered Hogwart's words before she followed the magic to the dungeons. What she said about a time traveler's state of being when traveling via certain types of magic.

_Even if their parents are killed before they're born, their existence will not be affected._

A wave of panic threatened to crush her for a precious few moments before her brilliant mind began to whirl. 1977. She wasn't born yet. Harry wasn't born yet. Lily and James Potter are alive. She could save them. Remus. Sirius. Regulus. Dumbledore. Fred. Mad-Eye, Cedric. Colin. _Harry_. None of them had to die. If she could manage to put an end to the war before it really set itself in motion, she could give Harry his greatest wish. To be Harry. Just Harry.

She could also find her own happiness. She knew Remus had been an academic even as a youth. He was studious and enjoyed discovering new knowledge. There was no doubt in her mind that she'd be able to bond with a younger version of her Remus. She could help him, too. She could brew him the potion. Take away some of the burden that she knew crushed him for most of his life. Suddenly the panic that was threatening to cripple her turned into undiluted joy. She didn't even notice how her face broke into a brilliant smile, practically lighting up the entire office with her happiness.

"I can see you're quite pleased with that information, Miss Granger. Will you be requiring any more answers before I receive mine?" Dumbledore asked, not unkindly.

Hermione couldn't quite keep the smile from her countenance. "Just one more, Professor. You said Hogwarts asked you to aide me any way you could. Are you inclined to follow that request?"

He chuckled. "I'm afraid if I were to ignore it I would find myself ousted from the school. She seemed rather displeased that, despite her assurances, I was unwilling to trust you until I witnessed Fawkes' reaction."

Hermione grinned. "Yes, well, I could see how a millennium old castle would find herself quite miffed that a century old man thought to question her."

"Century old? Dear me, Miss Granger, I'm not quite there just yet," he said, eyes twinkling merrily. "Let me live my last four years as a young man before you label me as thus."

Hermione couldn't help herself. She giggled. "I'm sorry, Professor. Rounding up, you know?"

"Indeed," he said with a smile. "And to answer your question, yes. I will aide you in any way I'm able. Do you have any other questions or concerns, Miss Granger?"

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. Her quest would be much easier with Dumbledore on her side. "No, Professor, and thank you for agreeing to help. You may regret that decision once you've heard my story. After all, it was you who told me the most important rule of time travel. '_Terrible things happen to those who meddle with time, Miss Granger. You mustn't be seen," _you said. I've already bollixed that one up. But it was Hogwarts that sent me here, not a time turner. She said that through certain magics, time can be changed. It's not static and will not create a paradox. She told me to make it better. Professor, I was born September 19th, 1979. I started Hogwarts on September 1st, 1991, sorted into Gryffindor. The date was May 2nd, 1998 before I arrived here."

She stopped there in order to give the information some time to marinate in Dumbledore's mind. He stared at her silently for a long moment. She kept her eyes in her lap, unable to contain her need to fidget under his gaze. "That is quite a tale, Miss Granger. While I'm inclined to trust that you mean no harm to this school or its students, I find it most difficult to believe you traveled 21 years into the past."

He did not expect for the girl to smile at him, but smile she did. "I wouldn't expect you to believe me without proof, sir. You'd have to be right barmy, and I know you are far from that."

He watched as she unzipped her jumper and pulled a purple beaded bag from a pocket within. His eyebrow quirked in amusement as she stuck her entire arm, up to her armpit, into the bag and began to rummage. Her face lit up in a satisfied grin before she pulled out a book. He looked down at the first edition copy of _The Tales of Beedle the Bard _she'd placed in front of him.

He then looked back to the girl curiously. He wasn't quite sure what a book was supposed to prove. She noticed his skepticism and elaborated. "Open to the title page, sir."

He complied and was unable to contain the shock he felt when his eyes landed on the familiar symbol. The Deathly Hallows. Oh how they'd wrought havoc in his life.

Hermione noticed that the Headmaster seemed lost in his thoughts and continued her explanation. "You left that to me in your will, Professor. I daresay you wrote that symbol yourself."

"Why would I do that, Miss Granger? No good can come from an obsession with these artifacts, of that I assure you."

Hermione felt a nervous energy wash over her as she contemplated how to explain her past. She stood up and began to pace. "Oh believe, me, Professor. I know. I kept telling Harry, you know. Horcruxes not Hallows. He wouldn't listen. Said you had to have written that symbol for a – "

She stopped short as she nearly stumbled into Dumbledore. He was towering over her, boring his eyes into hers without a twinkle to be found. He grabbed her biceps tightly as she felt him enter her mind, rather forcefully, as a matter of fact.

She considered fighting for a moment, but knew it would be futile in the end. She'd said a very dangerous word. Horcruxes. They'd become rather complacent in their discussion of the vile objects while wasting away in their tent day after day. It would seem this version of Dumbledore wasn't nearly as desensitized as she was.

She decided to simply give in and guide him to the pertinent information. She showed him the conversation she had with Harry and Ron during their sixth year where Harry explained the mission Dumbledore gave him regarding Slughorn's knowledge of Riddle's Horcruxes. She showed him the blackened hand he'd received from the Gaunt Ring and the fake locket he'd procured hours before his death, along with the note from Regulus contained within. She showed him the reading of his will by Rufus Scrimgeour the day the man died and the inheritance he'd left the three of them. She then showed him the struggles they faced on the hunt, finding the real locket, destroying it, being tortured by Bellatrix at Malfoy Manor, breaking into Gringotts, finding the Cup, destroying the Cup in the Chamber of Secrets, finding Harry with Ravenclaw's Diadem in the Room of Requirement, Crabbe setting the room on Fiendfyre and finally leaving Remus' dead body to witness Harry's dead body before following Hogwarts' magic to the dungeons and effectively 1977.

He released her as abruptly as he'd grabbed her. She became concerned as he swayed on the spot and quickly pulled her wand to conjure a chair behind him. He gave her a grateful look before sinking into the comfortable wing back.

Hermione resumed her own seat, eying her old Headmaster warily. He looked older and more tired than she'd ever seen him, and that included when he was close to death due to his cursed hand.

"Professor?" she asked tentatively.

"I can't believe I put that much responsibility on the shoulders of schoolchildren. The world you came from, Miss Granger. Well, I can see why Hogwarts brought you here to change it."

Hermione nodded her head, sadly but determinately. "You shouldn't feel guilty, Professor. You did what you had to do."

Hermione then went on to explain everything. The prophecy. Wormtail's betrayal. Lily and James' death. Sirius' imprisonment. The Dursleys. Quirrellmort. The Philosopher's Stone. The Chamber of Secrets. The diary Horcrux. The Dementors. Sirius. Peter. The Triwizard Tournament. Cedric. The resurrection ritual. Peter. Mad-Eye Crouch. The Dementors. The trial. The Order of the Phoenix. Umbridge. Arthur Weasley. Occlumency lessons. Dumbledore's Army. The Department of Mysteries. Sirius. The Vanishing Cabinet. Dumbledore. Snape. Draco. The fall of the Ministry. Bill and Fleur's wedding. The Hunt. The Battle. The deaths. The end. She explained it all.

Dumbledore was quite overwhelmed by then end of her story. She'd been pulling memories periodically so he could later see certain events for himself. It was not a process he was anticipating, by any means. The girl in front of him was merely a child, but her life had been fraught with darkness, prejudice, struggles and loss.

"How do you stay so determined, Miss Granger? You've spent practically your entire life fighting one battle or another, only to lose everything in the end. Now you're willing to start over. You are pure of heart. Firmly entrenched in the Light. How do you remain so after all you've seen?"

Hermione smiled warmly. "The most powerful magic there is, sir. Love. It conquers all. All you have to do is open yourself up to it, and it will protect your soul from the darkest of magic."

The words filled Dumbledore with more hope than he'd felt in a very long time. Not many people understood the true power of love, but it seemed this girl would not underestimate it. "It warms an old man's heart to hear that, Miss Granger. Now, I don't know about you, but I've had just about all I can handle today. I'd like to give you the opportunity to complete your seventh year. As you're now a permanent fixture in this time period, you'll need to make friends and take your NEWTs if you're to make a future for yourself. It will also put my mind at ease to know you're safe inside the castle. We can use the castle as our base of operations over the next year. Are you agreeable to this arrangement?"

"I'd be very appreciative, Professor. My education has always been very important to me, and I'd like to be able to finish what I started," Hermione responded with a smile.

"Excellent. Where to put you until term begins?" he pondered aloud.

"I can stay in the Room of Requirement, sir. It won't be a problem," Hermione suggested.

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea. I'll meet you there in the morning and we can retrieve the Diadem. Might as well secure it while the castle is empty. We'll also have to do something about the basilisk."

Hermione nodded her agreement while eying the Sorting Hat. She approached it and fingered it gently, wondering if she was Gryffindor enough to pull Godric's sword from the hat.

"Would you like to go ahead and get sorted privately, Miss Granger?" asked Dumbledore.

Hermione agreed heartily. The last thing she wanted to do was bring the attention of the entire school upon herself by being the only seventh year to grace the sorting stool in all of Hogwart's history.

Grasping the top of the hat gingerly, Hermione carried it from its shelf to her seat. She hesitated for a moment before placing a cushioning charm on the top of her head. She noticed Dumbledore's bemused stare just before her sight disappeared under the hat's brim.

_Ah, a time traveler, I see. You sure have been through a lot of trials in your young life, Miss Granger. While some of your actions would make Slytherin himself proud, there is no denying your strength in courage. I have come across few in my time that embody Godric's qualities so wholly._

_Thank you, _Hermione replied humbly.

_You are most welcome, Miss Granger. I take it you will be pleased to join your house once more?_

_Yes please. I also know you're guarding Gryffindor's Sword. Am I Gryffindor enough to wield it in my mission?_

_Yes, Miss Granger. I believe Godric would be honored to have you wield his sword. Although I must say Rowena would appreciate the cushioning charm you placed upon your head before making the request._

Both Hermione and the hat chuckled.

_You strongly considered placing me in Ravenclaw the first time around._

_Yes, you embody traits valued by all four founders. I daresay they'd fight over you if they were here today. Alas, Godric would ultimately be victorious, for you are a lion at heart. Good luck in your mission, young one._

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted audibly.

Hermione heard rather than felt the dull thud that indicated the relinquishing of the sword by the hat. Grabbing the hilt of the sword from her head, she carefully pulled off the hat. Dumbledore's eyes widened comically when he saw what she'd acquired.

"Miss Granger! Is that…"

"The Sword of Gryffindor? Yes, it is," she said smiling widely. "We can take a rooster down to the chamber. The crow will kill the great snake. If you can ask Fawkes to blind it that would be helpful, as well. We can impale the deceased snake's head with the sword to impregnate the venom. Then we can use the sword to destroy the Horcruxes."

Dumbledore nodded appreciatively. "That sounds like a very good plan. I'd imagine the basilisk is in some sort of stasis. There is no other way for it to have survived since Slytherin's time without leaving the chamber, and at this point the its only been opened the one time. It should be a relatively easy task."

"Sounds good, Professor. I'll just make my way down to the kitchens and then up to the Room of Requirement. I'll see you in the morning," she said, yawning widely as if to reinforce her plans.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Very good, Miss Granger. Will you be needing the Medi-Witch?"

Hermione looked down her body as if only remembering her current disheveled state. "I don't think so. I've got some Dittany in my bag that will take care of my cuts. They're just superficial, really. Thank you for your concern, Professor, and for all you're doing for me."

"No, thank you, Miss Granger," he responded kindly. "You are going to save many lives through your sacrifices. I appreciate your contributions in this fight. Both those from the past future and the one on the horizon. Good night, dear."

Hermione smiled appreciatively at Dumbledore's words. "Good night, Professor."

After leaving the Headmaster's office, Hermione walked quickly to the kitchens. She had spent the last nine months with scant few supplies, leaving her rather malnourished. She'd become rather accustomed to little to no food. However, the thought of a nice Hogwarts meal had her stomach speaking rather loudly. The message was clear. _Feed me._

When she reached the entrance to the kitchen she promptly tickled the pear and opened the handle that materialized after its peals of laughter. She was immediately surrounded by a dozen house-elves, eager to serve her. Stamping down the guilt she addressed the little creatures. "Hello everyone. My name is Hermione. Would you mind bringing me some dinner? My stomach won't be able to handle a large meal, just something small, please?"

She received a dozen eagerly nodding heads in response. "Oh yes, Miss. Wes can doos that for you."

"Thank you," she responded sincerely.

The elves beamed a smile before scampering off to prepare her meal. It was only a few moments later that an elf was placing a plate before her, filled with a medium size portion of roast beef, boiled potatoes, mixed greens and a small piece of chocolate cake. A goblet of pumpkin juice was placed next to the plate.

"Thank you. What is your name?"

"Daisy, Miss," responded the elf nervously.

"Thank you for the wonderful meal, Daisy. I truly appreciate it."

The elf squeaked excitedly. "It be no problem, Miss!" she exclaimed before scurrying off.

Hermione chuckled to herself. She still did not like the idea of house-elf enslavement, but she had reached a greater understanding over the years. It was in the nature of an elf to enjoy work, and it was unfair for her to judge them, or try to change their very nature, just because it makes her uncomfortable. However, she still wanted the creatures to have rights. They should be protected under the law from abuse, as well as receive compensation for the services they provide. It was not a cause she was willing to abandon, but she'd come to terms with the elves of Hogwarts. They were treated very well and given everything they needed. They were happy. She would have to focus on the other battles ahead of her before she could shift her attention to the plight of the house-elf.

Turning her attention to the food provided happily by Hogwart's elves, Hermione began to enjoy her meal guilt free. She nearly moaned in delight when she took her first bite of the beef. Her diet had mainly consisted of beans and stale bread for the past few months. She was unable to stomach everything, and didn't even take a bite of the cake. It was upsetting as the confection looked delicious, but her digestive system would need to work its way up to a full meal with chocolate cake.

Thanking the elves one last time, Hermione left the kitchens and made her way up to the seventh floor corridor. She noted very few changes from the Hogwarts of her childhood. A few different portraits were the main discrepancy. Otherwise the castle was very much the beloved school in which she'd spent her formative years. It was a tad bittersweet, really. She had an opportunity to change it all, but that also meant losing her best friends. She'd never again be a part of The Golden Trio.

It was worth the sacrifice if she got to see them grow up happy. No abusive relatives. No three-headed dogs or basilisks. No following the spiders. No Voldemort. No heavy burdens weighing down their young shoulders. She only hoped she'd be able to be a part of their lives in a different capacity. The Marauders would be completing their seventh year along with her. She'd share a dormitory with Lily Evans. Remus would be here. Granted, it would be his younger self, but she loved him. His age was inconsequential and she knew they'd be able to find common ground.

She paced back and forth in front of the blank patch of wall three times before a large door appeared. Opening it, she found a very comfortable looking king size four-poster bed with a Gryffindor scarlet comforter. There was also a cozy looking couch nestled up to a fireplace complete with crackling flames. Bookshelves lined the walls. She ran her fingers across the spines as she walked passed. There was a selection of both muggle and magical fiction, as well as magical academic topics.

She made her way to a door near the bed and found a bathtub the size of the one located in the prefect's bathroom. She wasted no time filling the tub with warm water and adding various oils and bubbles. She was stripped and immersed in the warm water the moment the basin was filled.

It. Was. _Heaven_.

They'd had the opportunity for a proper shower during their brief stay at Shell Cottage not long ago, but a lot had happened since then. She knew she was filthy and in dire need of a good washing. One did not take the feeling of being clean for granted when one had been living in the woods for months. Not even magic could truly mimic the feeling received from a proper bath. The warm water and bath oils also helped to relieve the aches in her muscles and joints. As she felt her body relax she realized just how _tired_ she was. After soaking in the tub for about thirty minutes, the bed began calling her name. She quickly washed and conditioned her hair before giving her body a good scrubbing. The room provided her with fluffy towels and a bath robe, as well as warm flannel pajamas. Merlin, she loved magic. She sunk into the comfortable bed with a contented sigh. The last thought that passed through her mind before she drifted to sleep was, _Yes, it will be okay._

**A/N:**

**Hello lovely readers! I was very surprised by the amount of reviews I received for the first chapter of a new story. Thank you all for your kind words! It inspired me to proceed with the next chapter earlier than I'd anticipated. So, much love to each of you who took the time to drop me a note:**

**theundyinglands, Kayleigh-FanfictionAddict-21, lucyliz, amrawo, The Erumpent Horn, BassBillionaire (x2), Alex, and Smithback**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. We'll get to meet our favorite pranksters in the next chapter. Thanks for reading! Reviews make my day! :)**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Hermione awoke the next morning to the glorious smell of fresh brewed coffee. Opening her eyes, she noticed a privacy screen surrounding her bed. It wasn't like the normal bed curtains, more like the hangings found in hospitals that section off portions of a room.

At the foot of her bed she found a trunk. When she peeked out of her makeshift bedroom she spied Albus Dumbledore reading The Daily Prophet on the couch. "Professor?" she asked.

"Ah, good morning, Hermione. You are looking much better since the last time I saw you. I trust you slept well?" he asked, chipper.

"Yes, sir, thank you."

"Wonderful. I asked Daisy to get everything you'll need for the upcoming year. You should find your school supplies, uniforms and books in the trunk. She was most pleased to be trusted with the task. She's quite taken with you," he remarked jovially. Hermione smiled at that. It really only requires a bit of kindness and respect to endear most house elves for life. So few wizards treat them like more than objects magically obligated to follow their every command. "I will be selling the basilisk parts for potion ingredients and armor material. If it is truly as large as you say, it will be worth a rather sizable fortune. The majority of the funds will go to the school, but I will be presenting you with a 10% finder's fee. You will be more than financially comfortable in this time, my dear."

"Thank you, Professor, but that's really not necessary," Hermione choked out. Basilisks are _very _rare creatures. The beast would be worth hundreds of millions of galleons.

"Nonsense, dear girl. The funds will help the school decades into the future, and I would have never known it was there if you hadn't told me. You will also be helping me to slay the beast. You will have earned the gold, Miss Granger."

Hermione smiled warmly. "If you're sure Professor. Thank you."

"Yes, of course. Now why don't you get dressed and ready? I'll call up breakfast and we can eat before we begin our tasks for the day."

"Sounds good, Professor."

After breakfast, the pair exited the Room of Requirement. Dumbledore stood off to the side while Hermione paced back and forth requesting the room of hidden objects. Dumbledore was delighted by the mass of objects piled high throughout the great expanse. He'd never seen this version of the room before. "Marvelous! Perhaps, when this war is finished, I can go hunting for treasures!"

Hermione snickered at his enthusiasm as she followed the path that led to the Horcrux. Luckily, the room hadn't changed much over the last twenty years, and she was able to find the gargoyle bust fairly easily. "There it is," she said, pointing to the dusty old hat placed upon the bust.

"It is such a pity to destroy it," Dumbledore lamented.

"Yes, well, Riddle doesn't exactly care about anything but himself. He'd have no problem defiling a piece of history with his vile essence. He probably thinks he's honoring it."

"You're probably right, Miss Granger. Now, Harry didn't have any adverse reactions to touching the item, correct?" he asked.

"No, but I don't think we should be too complacent. _Accio dragon-hide gloves," _she said. There was a great rumbling as items were displaced before dozens of gloves came flying at the pair from all directions. Just as the gloves reached them Hermione brandished her wand once more. _"Immobulus!"_ she cried. The soaring gloves promptly froze in the air before falling to the ground.

Smiling brightly, Hermione reached down and found a left and right glove before slipping her small hands inside and holding them up to Dumbledore. "Ta-da!" she cried cheekily.

Dumbledore chuckled at her antics, clapping. "Jolly good, jolly good!"

The pair sobered as they turned to the diadem. Gingerly, Hermione reached up and grabbed the object from the bust and quickly placed it in the bag Dumbledore had brought for the task. The pair then retreated back to his office to prepare for the second task of the day.

Dumbledore acquired a rooster from Hagrid, and Hermione led the way to the sink in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. She then closed her eyes and concentrated on the sounds Ron made to open the entrance. She was successful after a few attempts, and Fawkes carried them down the pipe. "I wish I'd had Fawkes for my last jaunt down here. Half the grime you saw on me yesterday was from sliding down that pipe," Hermione said with a shudder.

Dumbledore nodded his agreement. "I does look rather unsanitary, my dear."

Fawkes continued to carry them through the labrynth until they approached the second door. Hermione again fumbled through the snake speech to gain entrance. As soon as the door began to unlock, both Hermione and Dumbledore turned around, Dumbledore adding a blindfold. Fawkes then picked them back up and brought them to the Chamber proper.

They landed in the chamber, facing away from the giant snake that lay coiled around the statue of Slytherin. Hermione conjured a mirror to view the snake while Dumbledore remained blindfolded. They figured if the snake was awake, Hermione should be the one to be petrified as Dumbledore would be the most capable person to deal with the serpent. The basilisk's eyes were closed, so Hermione set down the rooster she held and aimed a spell forcing it to crow.

Nothing happened, really. It seemed to have slumped a bit like it was dead, but it's kind of hard to tell between a stasis state and death. Fawkes approached the king of serpents and promptly scratched its eyes out, just as a precaution. The beast didn't move, so Hermione felt confident that it was either dead or in such a deep state of stasis that it wouldn't matter.

Dumbledore, however, had insisted upon being the one to approach the snake and impale it. He ordered Fawkes to stay with Hermione and flash her out immediately if anything were to go wrong. Hermione felt she'd be the better guinea pig in this scenario. The world needed Albus Dumbledore far more than it needed Hermione Granger. The Headmaster, however, disagreed, and would not hear otherwise.

Dumbledore swiftly approached the great beast. _Merlin,_ this thing had to be at least 60 feet long! He'd thought the child was exaggerating, but in reality she may have _underestimated_ its size. It was quite intimidating to be standing next to the head of the largest king of snakes in recorded history, and Dumbledore found himself grappling with the image of a twelve year old boy fighting for his life against the raging beast.

Shaking his head of the image, Dumbledore gripped the hilt of the Sword of Gryffindor with two fists as he raised it above his head. With the thought of saving a young boy from facing such a terrible foe, the old man swiftly thrust the blade of the sword through the skull of the basilisk. The animal did not move, so he deduced that the rooster's crow had done its job properly.

Venom pooled in the wound after Dumbledore removed the sword from the beast's skull, so the he was confident the agent had been imbibed by the metal. He cast a quick _Scourgify _on the sword before rejoining his young charge.

"Miss Granger, the deed is finished. Would you like to do the honors with the diadem?" he asked.

Hermione nodded and accepted the proffered sword. She then watched as Dumbledore donned the gloves and lifted the diadem out of the rucksack.

Kneeling on one knee, Hermione took a deep breath before lifting the sword above her head. The tiara began to shake upon the action, as if it knew its destruction was near. In an attempt to save itself, the diadem began to whisper promises of power, riches and sadistic delights. Without hesitation, Hermione used all her strength to swing the sword forward in a graceful arc, splitting the diadem in two.

A piercing scream was heard throughout the chamber as a malignant black mist rose from the cracked head piece. It swirled into a distorted visage of Riddle's snake-like features before dissipating into nothing.

Dumbledore spoke after a few silent moments. "Well, then. Now we can be certain the sword is capable of destroying Horcruxes."

Hermione let out a shaky laugh as she stood from the ground. "Yes. Now we know."

"Was that similar to the destruction of the Cup?"

"Yes, it was. Only Tom Riddle would think a warrior for the Light would be swayed by power, riches, rape and murder," she stated dryly. "Although I suppose this Horcrux was at a disadvantage. The others attacked with offers and arguments more specific to the individual threatening to destroy it. I suppose this one could not get a read on me since it had no direct contact," she mused aloud.

Dumbledore considered her theory. "That is definitely a thought, Miss Granger. We'll use the gloves with each object, but we should still be prepared to face other protections."

"Of course, sir," Hermione responded.

"Excellent. Now, I'm going to have Fawkes transport you to the front gates. I'm meeting some of my alchemy colleagues about the dissection and sale of the basilisk," he explained, taking the sword from Hermione and replacing it in the bag. When he stood back up she noticed he'd pulled a small purple bag from the rucksack. "Here is an advance on a portion of your finder's fee. I thought you might like to buy some casual clothes and essentials. There are plenty of galleons to open a Gringotts account if you so choose. I trust you'll be able to find your way outside the wards in order to apparate?"

Hermione smiled. "Yes, Professor. I will be just fine on my own."

"Wonderful! We'll need to discuss your back story and get papers filed for your history within the Ministry. As the Chief Warlock, I will be able to accomplish this quite easily. I'll also need to test you in the subjects you wish to study in order to ensure you have the proper foundation."

"Thank you, Professor. I'll be looking forward to it," Hermione replied.

Having said their goodbyes, Fawkes swooped in and transported Hermione to the familiar gates of Hogwarts. She then stepped outside the gates and apparated to Diagon Alley. She decided to go ahead and open a vault before moving onto her shopping. After finishing her magical purchases (including plenty of Wolfsbane ingredients), Hermione moved onto muggle London to buy some muggle clothes befitting the era. The style had her giggling on more than one occasion, receiving many raised eyebrows. Her own attire was also the subject of many a questioning glance.

Hermione was exhausted by the time she arrived back to the castle. Dumbledore had given her permission to call on Daisy, so she headed straight for the Room of Requirement. Once there she called the small elf and requested dinner. Daisy was absolutely thrilled, and popped back to the room moments after she left it with a plate full of warm and delicious food. "Thank you, Daisy! This looks wonderful!"

Daisy curtsied awkwardly in her tea towel. "It be no problem, Miss Hermione! Yous can call on Daisy any time!" The elf then popped away, leaving Hermione to enjoy her dinner.

The rest of the time before the beginning of term was spent testing, studying and planning. Dumbledore had been most surprised by Hermione's test results, claiming she'd probably pass all her NEWTs without attending her seventh year, but he still wanted her in the castle where he could keep her safe. She decided to mostly go with her original plans and sit for the Potions, DADA, Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes NEWTs.

Dumbledore talked her into dropping History of Magic. The class required a lot of reading and essays, which were time consuming. It wasn't needed for any of her desired careers, and she could research whatever history interested her at her leisure. He'd been afraid that with eight NEWTs it would be easy to forget about their other quests, which were much more important than a History of Magic NEWT. She'd assured the man that _nothing_ was more important to her than the destruction of Voldemort, and he need not worry that her studies would get in the way.

It was the day before school began when the pair sat down to discuss her backstory. Dumbledore presented his ideas first. "Well, the war is beginning to become more apparent. People are being killed and there are disappearances every week. It would be quite believable to say that you were the victim of a Death Eater attack and have sought refuge at Hogwarts after you parents were killed. I know this isn't a pleasant lie to tell, but it would be quite believable," Dumbledore reasoned.

"It may be believable, Professor, but I think that would draw the wrong kind of attention. It's essentially asking Voldemort to take an interest in me. I think it would be best to go with something more innocuous," Hermione reasoned.

"Do you have something specific in mind?" he asked.

"Yes, actually. I thought I could say that my father was a muggle, preferring muggle transportation, and both my parents were killed in a car crash. My mum was a witch and had homeschooled me. I have no other living relatives and needed a place to live while finishing my education. While I loathe denying my muggle-born heritage, I think it would be the best decision in these times," she finished quietly.

Dumbledore nodded pensively. "Yes, I agree. It would be best not to draw attention to your heritage, and using a Death Eater attack would definitely draw Voldemort's eye. It would not be difficult for him to obtain information about you from current students who are the children of his Death Eaters. Very good thinking, Miss Granger. Best not to give him a reason to look your way."

Hermione nodded her agreement and the pair tied up the loose ends on her story. After she was dismissed she retired to her room to resume her start of term revision. Tomorrow the students would be arriving. Tomorrow she would see Remus and Sirius…_and_ _Peter_.

Merlin, she didn't know what to do about him. She didn't think he'd switched sides until after they'd left school, but she was unsure. Could he be saved? She tended to think not. It takes a special kind of bastard to betray ten years of friendship the way he did. To hand over a man who trusted him with his life and the lives of his family to the person who wanted to kill them. To trade a person who would die for him for a person who cared absolutely nothing for him _whatsoever_. No, she didn't think she could do anything for Peter Pettigrew, nor did she particularly think she _wanted_ to. As far as she was concerned, he'd already proven the kind of man he was. Because, yes, he was innocent of the acts at this point in time, but he'd shown that he was capable of perpetrating them. She was unwilling the risk the lives of Lily, James, Harry, Remus and Sirius on someone as unworthy as Peter Pettigrew.

She forced all thoughts of the traitorous rat out of her mind and focused instead on the two Marauders she was most looking forward to seeing. Sirius. Alive and well, untainted by the nightmares of Azkaban. _Remus_. The man she loved. Surrounded by the friends who so easily accepted his condition. His brothers. She'd never wished to be an animagus more than she did in that moment. She could still help him, though. With the potion.

There was another Marauder she was anxious to see, but it was the one she'd never met before. James Potter. She smiled wryly as she thought about the words Harry had heard so often. _'You look so like your father.' _Her reaction would be the exact opposite, she knew. She imagined herself approaching James with deference and solemnly telling him, _'You look so like your son.'_ She'd undoubtedly end up in the Janus Thickey Ward at St. Mungo's in no time.

She knew it would be hard to look upon him, a constant reminder of what she'd lost. Although, perhaps seeing Harry's look-a-like, alive and well, would banish the image of his limp lifeless body from her nightmares. She resolved herself to focus on changing that eventuality and giving her best friend the life he should have had in the first place.

The next evening arrived quickly, and a nervous Hermione found herself alone at the Gryffindor table, directly in front of the anxious firsties about to be sorted. She'd arrived in the Great Hall late, having lost track of time while engrossed in her revision. All the seats were taken, except the open space designated for the new lions. She'd sat on the end, as the students sitting next to the open space were eying her warily.

She clapped for all the smiling little ones as they ran to join their new house. Gryffindor had acquired 13 new members. After the hall settled down Dumbledore stood to make his announcements. It was the typical speech she'd heard many times before. The Forbidden Forest is forbidden. No magic in the halls. List of banned items on Filch's door. No warning about a most painful death to those who go snooping about the third floor corridor, however, so there were _some_ differences from the speech she'd heard as a first year.

Once the more mundane announcements were complete, Dumbledore introduced Hermione to the school. "We have a transfer student this year. Miss Hermione Granger will be completing her seventh year at Hogwarts. She was privately sorted into Gryffindor before the start of term. I expect you all to make her feel welcome. Now, if you will all join me in singing the school song. Pick your tune…"

After the song was finished, the empty platters filled with delicious foods. She watched the innocent firsties light up with excitement as they piled food onto their plates. She waited until they began to eat before she fixed her own plate.

"How come you just started at Hogwarts this year, Hermione?" asked the girl across from her.

"Oh, well, my mum homeschooled me before, but my parents were killed in a car crash at the beginning of the summer," she said sadly. Clearing her throat, she continued, "My dad was a muggle and preferred to travel without magic. I didn't really have any place to go. I wrote to the Headmaster to see if I could come here for my NEWT year, explaining what happened. He was nice enough to board me over the summer. I've been here for a little over a month." She shook off the emotion she felt thinking about her parents. She then smiled at the horrified face of the young girl. "This castle is amazing. You guys are going to love exploring it," Hermione finished.

"I'm so sorry; I shouldn't have asked." the girl said, her cheeks tinged pink.

"No worries, I'm doing alright. What's your name, dear?"

"Sophie Walters."

"Tell me, Miss Sophie, what class are you most looking forward to?" Hermione asked, trying to ease some of the nervousness permeating the first years.

The girl's face lit up excitedly. "Charms! Oh, I can't wait for charms!" she exclaimed.

"Charms is a very interesting subject. You will love it. How about the rest of you?"

The children each named off just about every subject, sans History of Magic. "How about you, Hermione? What's your favorite subject?"

"Well, I enjoy just about every subject except Divination. My favorite, however, is Arithmancy."

"What's Arithmancy?" asked a one of the boys.

"It's the mathematical study of a spell's structure," she explained. At the blank look on every surrounding face, Hermione tried to explain. "Who here has been to muggle school?" she asked.

A little over half the students raised their hands. "Okay, so you learned about arithmetic formulas used to measure various mundane things, yeah? For instance, you should have learned that the area of a triangle is equal to one half the base times height. It's the same basic principle with spells. You can break them down into an arithmetic formula. The study of this is known as Arithmancy," she explained.

"That sounds boring, Hermione!" exclaimed a boy whom she remembered from the sorting to be Ben.

"Oh but it's not!" she said excitedly. "Sure, you might think, 'Why on earth does anyone care about the area of a triangle?' and unless you pursue certain careers, I'd agree with you, but every magical being can benefit from Arithmancy. You see, if you become proficient in the subject, not only can you break down spells, but you can build them up. Create your own. Anything you want to do with magic, you can succeed if you are just able to work out the formula!"

Now the children seemed more excited about the subject, and Hermione could see the Arithmancy professor, Septima Vector, at the staff table, smiling widely. "You can really create your own spells?" asked Sophie.

"Of course! How do you think we know the spells that exist today? Someone created each and every one of them, and they did it with Arithmancy," Hermione said.

"Have you ever created a spell?" asked another girl.

"Of course!" Hermione pulled her wand. She cleared her throat theatrically before saying, _"Avis!"_ A flock of yellow canaries erupting from her wand tip. They flittered around the children's heads for a moment before Hermione banished them. "You can use them defensively, as well. I could have had them peck at you," she giggled, thinking of when she'd used it on Ron in their sixth year. He'd been trying to set her up with Seamus, and wouldn't take no for an answer.

"I've created some others, but they're mostly just variations of current spells concentrated in warding and defensive magics," she explained.

"That's so cool, Hermione!" squealed Sophie.

"Hey Hermione, do you know if they have any muggle sports here? I've been playing football since I was three, and I'd really like to continue," said one of the children who'd been to muggle school.

"Well, unfortunately there's no organized league like with Quidditch, but there are plenty of muggle-borns and half-bloods who'd probably love to play if you tried to start a pick-up game," Hermione commented thoughtfully. She might even play herself. She needed her body fit and in fighting shape.

"But does the school have the proper equipment?" he asked.

Hermione smirked at the boy. "I'll ask you the same question my best friend asked me when we got into a bit of a spot with some Devil's Snare. 'Are you a wizard, or not?'"

The children looked at her confusedly, so she cleared a fairly large amount of space on the table between them. She then placed two rolls about a half a meter apart. Between the rolls, she placed four breadsticks and a brussel sprout.

With her mock field set up, Hermione transfigured the rolls into miniature goals, the brussel sprout into a football and simply added legs and arms to the breadsticks. She then had two of the breadsticks run around the table kicking the football and trying to score a goal. The children burst into giggles as one of the breadsticks kicked the ball into the air in front it itself and proceeded to "head-butt" the ball toward the goal. The goalie breadstick jumped to the side in an attempt to block the goal, but its little arms were too short and the ball made it passed.

"Oh, oh! Show us more magic!" squealed Sophie.

Hermione smiled and thought for a moment. "Alright, you said you were most looking forward to Charms. Tell me, have you read any of your textbook yet?"

The girl nodded her head enthusiastically, her curls bouncing merrily. "Alright," Hermione said with a smile, turning a bit in her seat. She used the _Flagrate_ charm Memory Riddle had used to rearrange the letters in his name in the Chamber. Harry had shown her the Pensieve memory of the encounter before they'd left for the Horcrux Hunt. She brandished her wand and wrote the following into the air:

INCANTATION

(10 spaces) (7 spaces)

She then drew the hangman's noose. The muggle-born and half-blood students smiled excitedly while the pureblooded children looked thoroughly confused.

It didn't take long before the guessing began. Sophie was the first.

"T!"

"Nope, no 'T'", said Hermione, drawing the head with her wand.

"S!"

The guessing continued, the purebloods quickly picking up on the game. The firsties earned a body, one arm and one leg with the letters 'H', 'C' and 'P'.

Finally the answer clicked and Sophie excitedly shouted, _"Wingardium Leviosa!"_ while bouncing in her seat.

Hermione smiled and filled in the remaining letters. "Very good, Sophie," she praised. "Do you know what the incantation is for?"

"Levitation!" she responded proudly.

Hermione had been so wrapped up in the children, relishing in their innocent exuberance (which in her time had long since left the world, even for the youngest students), that she didn't notice the attention she'd drawn. That is until she heard a clapping noise beside her.

She looked down to see Professor Flitwick clapping merrily. "20 points to Gryffindor, Miss Granger, for the inventive use of transfiguration and charms to introduce the children to Hogwarts! And 10 points to Gryffindor, Miss Walters, for knowing the levitation incantation!" the man squeaked excitedly.

Hermione blushed scarlet and looked down at the table, embarrassed at the attention. "Thank you, Professor," she said quietly. As the professor smiled and walked away, Hermione could feel the stares of those around her. She looked down the table and made contact with a pair of warm blue eyes.

Her breath hitched in her throat when she saw Remus Lupin smiling warmly at her. She returned the smile without consciously meaning to do so. He looked so different in some ways, but the same in others. His hair was dirty blond and short yet shaggy. He had a strong jaw, straight nose and kissable lips. The scars on his face were absent, as were the lines of both age and weariness. He'd told her he never had girlfriends, but how that was possible, Hermione was unsure. He was gorgeous. That much she could tell just by looking at him. She also knew that he was intelligent, kind and loyal. Mischievous and fun. She didn't know if the young Remus Lupin would love her in the same manner as the older one, but she really hoped they could get to that point. If it was not meant to be, she would settle for friendship. All she knew was that she had to have him in her life in some capacity.

Her staring seemed to have been noticed by James and Sirius, who began to tease an embarrassed Remus. _Dear Merlin_, no wonder Sirius had such a reputation. He was devastatingly handsome. If she didn't know it was him, she wouldn't have ever recognized him. Not that he was unattractive in her time, but the years had not been kind. Twelve years in Azkaban would strip the youth and liveliness off anyone, and Sirius Black had been no exception. She couldn't help the smile that lit her face at the sight of a smiling, carefree Padfoot. A Padfoot free of the crippling depression, guilt and regret caused by the little bastard sitting next to Remus. A Padfoot with the world at his feet. If she wasn't completely in love with Remus, and hadn't already known what a scoundrel he was, Hermione could see herself swooning quite easily for one Sirius Black.

James was another story altogether. She wanted to hug him and kiss his cheeks. Bury her face in his chest and pretend he was Harry. They looked eerily similar. Scar or no, Harry had no chance of ever blending into wizarding society. The image of James Potter was widely known; one look at Harry would confirm his identity. The hated cursory glance to his forehead that followed nearly every introduction was superfluous, a mere curiosity. People would need no other evidence than a single glance at his face.

She could practically feel the adoration on her face as she moved her eyes away from James. She purposefully skipped over Peter as she brought her eyes back to the children talking excitedly about earning House Points before the Welcome Feast had even finished. She had skimmed over a beautiful redhead who was watching her watch the Marauders. She was shaking her head and frowning with sympathy.

Hermione nearly laughed out loud. She knew James and Lily got together at some point during their seventh year, but that before they became a couple Lily disliked James. _Immensely_. It seemed James still had some work to do. She could practically hear Lily fretting over the new girl falling into the Marauder's trap. _No need to worry, Lily_, Hermione thought amusedly. _I've got their number._

Hermione was brought out of her musings by Dumbledore, who'd stood to dismiss the students. "Prefects, if you could lead the first years to the dormitories. Mr. Potter, Miss Evans and Miss Granger, if you could stay behind, please," he requested jovially. Hermione snickered to herself when she saw James smile brightly at a scowling Lily.

Once the Great Hall emptied Dumbledore addressed the three he'd asked to stay behind. "Miss Granger, Mr. Potter and Miss Evans are the Head Boy and Head Girl. If you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to seek their aide," said Dumbledore kindly. At Hermione's nod, the Headmaster turned to the future husband and wife. "Mr. Potter, Miss Evans. Congratulations on making Head Boy and Head Girl. I'm sure you'll do a terrific job!"

Both students smiled politely with a, "Thank you, sir."

"Now, I'll ask you two to show Miss Granger the way to Gryffindor Tower. She has been staying in the castle for a little over a month with nary an activity to keep her occupied, so she's explored the castle quite extensively. I daresay she knows her way around very well, but she might need help with specific locations…putting names to rooms and such. I trust you'll ensure she doesn't get lost?" They'd decided on this claim because of her vast knowledge of the castle's secrets. She'd had access to the Marauder's Map for the last five years, and the Trio had found locations that hadn't been on the Map before they'd discovered them. She knew this castle better than those pranksters, and she was loathe to pretend otherwise. Plus, she was bound to take secret passageways out of habit. It takes forever to traverse the castle without taking advantage of the shortcuts.

Both students nodded their agreement. "I'll be happy to help Hermione in any way I can, Headmaster," Lily said sincerely.

Hermione smiled at the girl with the familiar green eyes. "Thank you, Miss Evans."

"Please, call me Lily," she replied with a genuine smile.

Hermione returned her grin with a nod. "Wonderful, now off you trot. Have a good night's rest. Classes start bright and early in the morning," Dumbledore said, dismissing them.

The trio began walking toward the exit as James addressed Lily. "How was your summer, Lily-Flower?"

"Don't call me that, Potter! And it was fine," she replied testily. Hermione raised her eyebrow. How on earth did these two go from this to baby in less than three years?

"So, Hermione," Lily began, trying to box out James. "What brings you to Hogwarts for your last year? Where did you study before?"

"Oh, I was homeschooled before," she lied. "My parents were killed in a car crash just before the summer began. I didn't really have any place to go, so I wrote Professor Dumbledore about finishing my education at Hogwarts. He's been great. Let me come here early and everything," she said softly.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Hermione," said James. "My parents passed away recently as well. I know how you're feeling. If you ever need anyone to talk to, well, I'm here," he finished sincerely.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter," she responded in kind. The story she told may have been a lie, but her parents were truly lost to her, even if they were alive. Thanks to her spell, they hadn't remembered they had a daughter when she was sent back in time, and now they'd never know. It was almost as though she'd never had parents at all.

"Please, call me James," he replied.

She gave him a smile and said, "Same goes for you, James. If you need someone to talk to, you know. I know you have other friends here, but well, the offer stands."

"Thanks, Mione," he said with a big grin.

Hermione groaned, causing James to laugh out loud. "At least it's better than Hermy," she said with a sigh. This caused James to laugh louder.

"Definitely better than Hermy, Mione!"

Hermione found it impossible to stay annoyed with Harry's father. Not only because of the way her heart clenched when she looked at him, but because he was very charming and likable.

She could see Lily eying James like she'd never seen him before. Hmmm…Perhaps her opinion of him begins to change tonight, Hermione mused.

Hermione greeted the Fat Lady when they arrived in front of her portrait. "Good evening, Madam," she said. Hermione had made a point of chatting up some of the portraits during her week in the empty castle. She figured she could site portrait aide if any of her knowledge came into question.

"Oh, Hermione, dear. How was the feast?" she asked.

"Delicious, Madam. Not that I was surprised. I've gotten rather spoiled having the house elves all to myself," Hermione replied.

"What do you make of the little ones this year?" she asked. "They seem a mite more comfortable and relaxed than typical first years."

"Oh, they're delightful! I sat with them during the feast. I had a lot of fun with them," Hermione replied enthusiastically.

"I'd say that's why they are so relaxed, Madam," James remarked. "Mione here was dazzling them with magic. I daresay she was dazzling others as well. She had the attention of half the Hall," he finished jokingly.

Hermione's cheeks flamed red. "It was just a bit of fun," she said.

"Yes it was, dear Mione," he said, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "We are going to have a bit of fun this year, I think. Now, Madam, I must escort these two lovely young ladies to the common room. Early morning classes, you know. I bid you good night," he said, bowing his head nobly. "_Golden Snitch," _he said, causing the portrait to swing open.

"Goodnight dears," said the Fat Lady.

Hermione snickered at James' antics. He was so much more carefree than his son was ever allowed to be. She hoped she and Dumbledore would be able to ensure Harry had the opportunity to grow up to be just as burden free as his father.

Hermione climbed through the portrait hole into the familiar common room that was now empty save the other Marauders.

"Jamsie! I missed you!" cried Sirius dramatically, throwing his arms around the other boy's neck and pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Oi! Geroff, Padfoot!" James exclaimed.

Remus and Peter were standing off to the side, snickering at their friend's dramatics. Lily led her over to them for introductions. "Hermione, this is Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. They're the only sensible Marauders," she said.

Hermione looked to Lily with mock curiosity. "Marauders?" she asked.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Yes, it's what these dunderheads call themselves. The other one over there is Sirius Black."

"Oi!" shouted Sirius and James simultaneously.

"I take offense to that, Lily-Petal," replied James.

Lily sighed exasperatedly and looked to the ceiling as if trying to divine patience from above. "I asked you not to call me that, Potter."

"Actually, you asked him not to call you Lily-Flower," Hermione responded with a grin.

"Thank you, Mione!" James crowed happily.

"Merlin, Hermione, not you too!" Lily exclaimed.

Hermione giggled as Lily took her hand and began to drag her toward the girl's dormitory. "It was nice meeting you boys!" she called, mentally excluding one Peter Pettigrew.

Hermione was pleased to see she would be staying in her old room. She'd be using Parvati's future bed, but the room itself felt like home.

"Hermione, this is Dorcas Meadowes, Marlene McKinnon and Alice Prewett. Girls, this is Hermione Granger," Lily introduced.

Hermione smiled at her new dorm mates. Every single person in this room became a member of the Order. She stamped down the wave of sorrow that threatened to crash into her at the thought that everyone, save Alice Prewett, had been killed in the war. Two of them by Voldemort himself. Alice was alive, of course, but she'd been tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange. Her already iron clad resolve inexplicably strenthened further as the three girls smiled warmly and welcomed her with open arms. She would not let them suffer the same fate as in the original timeline.

The next morning found Hermione in The Great Hall before anyone else. She'd always been an early riser, and she was looking forward to attending classes again. She'd done a lot of maturing, however. She was no longer the girl who bounced in her seat with her hand in the air. She would not be writing four rolls of parchment when only two were required. While dealing with the war, she'd learned that a Patronus will still work if you don't know every detail about the wizard who invented it or the date of its creation. She still believed that theory was incredibly important, but other superfluous details could be overlooked.

The hall was beginning to fill, but Hermione paid no mind. She was immersed in the morning's Daily Prophet while absently taking bites of her porridge. She'd unconsciously taken up the spot typically reserved for The Golden Trio in her time, so she wasn't surrounded by first years. Instead, she soon found herself with a young Sirius Black flush against her side with his arm wrapped around her.

She looked up at him questioningly and saw disbelief flash through his grey eyes before his features morphed into a smug grin. She almost snickered. Honestly, did he expect her to hand over her knickers simply because he was close and showed her a bit of attention? He may be young and good looking, but Hermione was immune to the charms of Sirius Black. She knew the man far too well to place him on a pedestal.

"Can I help you, Sirius?" she asked, turning her attention back to the paper without waiting for a response. She could hear James, Remus and Peter snickering, but she ignored them.

Sirius was obviously a glutton for punishment, because he muddled forward. He leaned in close, his face mere centimeters from hers. She could feel his warm breath on her cheek and smell his minty toothpaste. "Did you have a pleasant sleep, Miss Granger," he breathed huskily.

"I did, Mr. Black. You don't seem to have, though," she remarked.

"Why do you say that, love?" he asked.

"Well, you're leaning on me pretty heavily. You don't seem to have enough energy to even hold yourself up," she remarked dryly.

The other Marauders guffawed loudly, but Sirius had much more perseverance than she gave him credit. "I'm not sleepy, kitten. I just want to be close to you."

"No," she said.

"No what?" he asked.

"Whatever it is you're trying to do, here. Just no," she clarified.

"Aw, come on kitten. Let me take you to Hogs – "

"No," she interrupted.

"Why not?" he asked petulantly, straightening up a bit but leaving his arm around her shoulders.

She looked up from her paper and smirked. "Oh, I've heard stories about you, Mr. Black. Tell me, is there a broom cupboard in this school with which you are not intimately familiar?" James, Remus and Peter laughed loudly at that.

Sirius sputtered indignantly. "Listen, kitten. You can't listen to what Evans says about us. She hates us!"

"Oi, don't bring Lily into this, Padfoot!" scolded James. Hermione caught the soft smile that graced Lily's beautiful face at James' defense.

"Yeah, Padfoot. Don't bring Lily into this. She didn't say anything, anyway," Hermione teased.

"Well then who's been spreading these vicious rumors?" Sirius asked sullenly, dropping his arm.

Hermione giggled and put her own arm around Sirius' shoulders. It truly felt good to just _feel_ him. Alive. Warm. She had missed him terribly. "Aw, Sirius. Don't be upset. You know those portraits gossip like old biddies. Well, some of them actually _are_ old biddies, but they all relish in the juicy news. I spoke with a lot of them over the summer, seeing as there was no one else here but the Headmaster. I know all _kinds_ of things," she teased. "Apparently you are trying to use every closet in the school, with a different girl each time," she said, poking his ribs.

"Oi! Those portraits need to mind their own business!" he exclaimed, pouting.

Hermione just laughed. "Don't bother giving me those puppy dog eyes, mister. That look won't work on me no matter how good you are at it. I'm not the kind of girl who snogs randoms, anyway. But never fear, my good sir. Just looking around this room I can see plenty of girls who'd be eager to be dragged off to a magical broom cupboard with their black haired knight," she finished cheekily, poking him in the cheek.

She couldn't help the familiarity with which she treated him. She'd known him since she was thirteen, after all. She and Harry had saved his life and the trio had shared that blasted hippogriff ride. It bonded them together, and she'd spent many a night bantering back and forth with both him and Remus during the summer before he died. Slipping back into their old relationship was like Sunday Morning. Easy.

She heard Remus chuckling across the table and sent him a conspiratorial wink. "Looks like she's got you figured out, Padfoot," he said through his snickers.

"Oh, shut it, Mooney," Sirius replied, throwing a piece of biscuit at Remus, hitting him in the middle of his forehead as all three Marauders laughed merrily (she refused to think of Peter as one of them).

Hermione giggled loudly. It was so good to have two of her boys back, and while James would never replace Harry in her heart, she could see him carving out a place of his own. Watching the three of them laugh and banter back and forth calmed the last small angst-riddled piece of her mind. She now knew without a doubt that'd she'd find her happiness in this time.

**A/N:**

**You guys are blowing me away with your reviews! It's making me want to write more all the time. I've been completely neglectful of my other stories! :) **

**lucyliz, Kayleigh-FanfictionAddict-21, Alarice, amrawo, Twilight Gleek (x2!), LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, Lana Mack, Smithback, BassBillionaire, Dissapointed, vktsubasa4ever, RabxBlack**

**Thank you all so much. You have no idea how excited I get whenever I see a review alert in my inbox! And I'm an accountant, so I need all the excitement I can get. :)**

**I put a link on my profile to my vision of a young Remus Lupin. I found while doing a yahoo image search for "Remus Lupin," and dear Merlin. There are some straaaaange people out there. Anyway, I based my description on one picture in particular, and it is found by following the link.**

**Now, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it. I'm not going to have Hermione and Remus jump straight into a relationship, either. They'll need to build a basis of friendship,first. But never fear, this is a Remus/Hermione story. And before anyone points it out, I know Hermione didn't invent the **_**Avis**_** spell. As Ben Stiller says in Happy Gilmore, "You're in my world now, Grandma." I also went with a popular fandom trend and made Alice Longbottom a Prewett.**

**On to Peter. I went back and forth thinking about whether Hermione would give him a chance at redemption, and in the end, I just don't see it. I mean, she brought Umbridge to Grawp and had her carted off by centaurs. She scarred Marietta Edgecomb with the word SNEAK. Plus, she's highly logical. If Peter betrayed them once what's to say he wouldn't do it again? Even if he hadn't technically done it, yet. He's proven that he is more than capable. I don't think she'd give him the opportunity to muck up her efforts to save her friends and loved ones.**

**Now, about the Death Eaters…How concerned are you all with canon chronological accuracy? The only main Death Eaters I can find that would have been in school with the Marauders in their seventh year would be old Snivellus, Avery and Mulciber. The latter two being speculation since Lily mentioned them in one of the memories Snape gave Harry. Regulus is there too, but I like him too much to make him a bad guy. Lucius is out, because I have some plans for him, but I can de-age some of the others. Bellatrix? Rodolphus? Narcissa? Rabastian? Avery? Who would you like to see?**

**I think that's all of my ramblings. I probably won't be able to update again until the weekend, but who knows? Sometimes I just can't walk away from my laptop. Anywho, Please let me know what you thought of the chapter! I do so love hearing from you all! **


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

**This wasn't what I was originally planning to write for the third chapter, but I was struggling to get a grasp on how to begin now that Hermione has settled and the term has begun. One of my reviewers, **_**forestreject**_**, commented on how they'd like to see Remus or Dumbledore's reaction to Hermione with the first years. It kind of made me want to explore what was going on in Remus' world so far, and hence this chapter was born. It's more of a filler, really, but it fed my muse for the next chapter. So, thank you to **_**forestreject**_** for your review and inspiring this chapter! I hope you all enjoy! **

Chapter 3:

Remus found himself very intrigued by the new girl. Hermione. He'd noticed her at the Welcoming Feast. She entered the Great Hall, head down, and made her way to the far end of the table. Away from everyone. He'd wondered who she was. He found her to be quite beautiful and was sure he would have noticed her before. She _obviously_ wasn't a first year.

Her presence was explained during the start of term announcements. The Headmaster told the school she was a transfer student. He found that odd, seeing as how he'd never known Hogwarts to take transfers. And he'd read _Hogwarts: A History_ quite a few times.

He wouldn't begrudge the girl the chance to study at Hogwarts, however. He should have been denied the opportunity himself, but the Headmaster was kind and understanding. Unprejudiced. He allowed Remus to come to Hogwarts despite his condition. The plague that infected him. Oh how he loathed his lycanthropy.

He'd been bitten as a young boy and thought for sure he'd spend his life alone and friendless. His parents could barely look at him, for Merlin's sake! If they couldn't accept him, who could? He'd been blessed to find the answer to that question at Hogwarts. James, Sirius and Peter. The Marauders. His brothers. His family. They accepted him so easily, even going through the dangerous animagus transformation in order to support him during the full moon.

Remus had made a conscious decision upon his acceptance at Hogwarts to put forth every bit of effort he could. He pushed himself to work hard, learn everything the school could teach him. He never wanted the Headmaster to regret his decision of allowing him to come to the school. He'd been given a gift, and he refused to squander it. His efforts had been rewarded. He'd been made prefect during his fifth year.

Of course that didn't mean he couldn't have fun. The Marauders were known as pranksters. James and Sirius were the faces of the group. The lead singer and guitarist, if you will. Remus was more like the drummer. He sat in the background and made sure everything stayed on track. Sirius and James were smart, sure, but they were also reckless. Remus was the mastermind of their operation. Always a cool head and steady hand to keep them on beat.

Peter, unfortunately, was more like a roadie. He followed their plans and played whatever part they asked him to. He did the heavy lifting. He didn't really have much else to contribute. Sure, he'd mastered the animagus transformation, but it had been touch and go. He nearly died, and had only made it through because of Sirius and James' help. He also spent the vast majority of his transformed time asleep. It took a significant portion of his energy to maintain his form, leaving him exhausted. They loved him like a brother, but he wasn't really a standout.

The girls of the school swooned over the two hot-shot Marauders. James was lost to them, having been in love with Lily Evans since he was eleven, despite her constant rejection. Sirius, on the other hand, gave the crowd what they wanted. Remus was pretty sure his friend had snogged over half the girls in the upper grades and shagged at least a quarter. Poor girls thought they could be the one to pin him down. They were kidding themselves. He couldn't see Sirius even consider a real relationship for at least another ten years. He had entirely too much fun playing the field.

He'd been concerned for the girl that first night, for that very reason. He'd watched her with the first years. The way she put them at ease and turned their table into a football field. She used some very advanced transfigurations to pull that off, and she'd done it silently. He knew then that she was a powerful witch, but that she was also kind and compassionate. He remembered what it was like to be an ickle firstie. While it was exciting to lay eyes upon the castle for the first time, it was also quite intimidating. Not to mention sitting in front of the entire school as they witnessed your sorting. She'd joked with them and shown them how much fun they could have with magic. He couldn't help but smile at her.

He wasn't the only one to notice her, and Sirius had wasted no time informing Remus and Peter about his plans for the girl. "I can't wait to find out if Hermione is a good kisser!" he crowed the moment they left the Great Hall.

"Sirius, I don't think you should run your game on her," Remus responded warily.

"Why not, Mooney, you got eyes for her?" he asked jokingly.

It was no secret that Remus wasn't a ladies man, not for lack of female interest. He just didn't view romance and sex in the same way as Sirius. Sure, he was a seventeen-year-old boy with teenage hormones, but he didn't need a partner to fulfill them. He _had_ been tempted to accept a few invitations to Hogsmeade, but every time he was asked he envisioned the girl staring at him in horror when she found out about his lycanthropy. He had no desire to be faced with that, thank you very much. His right hand would just have to be sufficient company.

Sirius was always trying to get him to go out and have a good time, insisting he could shag a bird without telling her about his furry little problem. He didn't understand why Remus felt the need to be in a committed relationship before he got to the fun part. But Remus felt physical intimacy was something special, not something to be shared with just anyone. He longed to be accepted, to be loved, and for that emotional connection to lead to the sexual relationship. For the sex to be a physical manifestation of his love for another, and her love for him.

Yes, he was afraid he'd never meet someone willing to accept him so completely. Yes, he was afraid he'd die a virgin. But no, he was not willing to sacrifice his ideals for a meaningless shag. After all, his body was taken by the draw of the moon every month. Changed against his will. It was agonizingly painful. If he was going to allow another person access to his scarred body, it would be because he was loved completely. He would not allow his body to be used by another just to sate primal urges. He was a man, not an animal, dammit! This was something Sirius would never understand.

"No, Sirius, I don't have eyes for the new girl. It's just…She looks like she's been through things. It's like there's a warrior buried just beneath the surface, waiting to burst forth if there's a threat. She looks like she's seen battle. Seen death," Remus responded quietly.

"You got all that from watching her tonight, Mooney?" asked Peter.

"I could see it in her eyes. They're very expressive," Remus responded.

Remus nearly groaned at the resulting smirk on Sirius's face. "Mooney and new girl, sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" He sang. Badly.

Remus quickly placed his hand over the other boy's mouth. "What the hell is wrong with you, Padfoot? And where in the bloody hell did you hear that muggle song?"

Sirius grinned wolfishly. "Met Sally at a muggle park by her house over the summer. Heard some of the kids taunting their friend with it."

"Well, could you not taunt me with it? Besides, you're being stupid. The girl just looks like she's been through some hard times, is all. The last thing she needs is for you to break her heart," Remus responded testily.

"Or maybe she just needs some comfort. Who am I to deny her?" he responded, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Whatever," Remus responded with a roll of his eyes. "We have to share a common room with the girl. Just remember what happened last year with Violet Carrington."

Sirius shuddered. He'd only shagged the Gryffindor once, but she'd apparently equated their time in the broom cupboard with a marriage proposal. She wouldn't leave him alone after their tryst. Thank Merlin she graduated last year. Honestly, what bird in their right mind thinks a bloke takes her in a closet if he's interested in romance?

"We'll see, Mooney. If she seems like the clingy type I'll abandon ship," Sirius replied. He wasn't willing to give up his conquest that easily.

The three of them waited in the common room for James, Lily and Hermione to turn up. Everyone else had already gone up to their beds, tired from day of travel and their heavy meal. Sirius had wasted no time making a spectacle of himself as soon as they climbed through the portrait hole. While his friends wrestled, Lily introduced Hermione to him and Peter. She'd acted confused when Lily mentioned the Marauders, but that's all it was. An act. She'd heard of them somehow, and it made Remus suspicious.

His fears were allayed the next morning. Both of them. Not only did he find out she'd heard of them through the portraits, but she also rebuffed Sirius' advances without batting an eye. She hadn't been swayed at all by the attention that would have lesser women on their knees. Literally.

He couldn't help but watch her as she skillfully shut down his every advance, playfully and without malice. Merlin she was beautiful. It wasn't in that obvious, overstated way. It was in that natural way that proved to last through the ages. Her hair was light brown with natural golden highlights. It was wild and untamed and made him want to run his fingers through it. She had cinnamon eyes that spoke of intelligence. Her wit was quick and her tongue was sharp. She was perfect.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, so did a vision. A vision of the beautiful creature in front of him. Her eyes filled with horror. Her beautiful face contorted in disgust. Her mass of untamed curls flying through the air as she ran in the opposite direction. He could never tell her the truth. She'd never accept him. How could she? She deserved far better.

He laughed as Padfoot threw a piece of biscuit at his head and proceeded to joke around with his friends. He noticed Hermione watching them with a serene smile on her face. Her eyes speaking of a peace he hadn't seen the night before.

He knew he'd never have her romantically, but he would settle for being her friend. All he knew was that he wanted to have her in his life in some capacity.

**A/N:**

**First of all, I need to say that you all have blown me away with your reviews and alerts! I'm so happy that you're enjoying the story so far. Special thanks go out those who reviewed:**

**RabxBlack, Twilight Gleek, IAMAMANDA, lucyliz, Kayleigh-FanfictionAddict-21, Alarice, Goddess of Magic, Dissapointed, theundyinglands, Miss. Silver Star, The Erumpent Horn, Becca87, amrawo, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, Lana MacK, Monnbeam, SeekerGirl, forestreject, CharmedbyJas, jen103 (x3), Tovah Ignacia**

**Love you guys so much! Thanks for all your support!**

**This chapter was fun to write. Never having been a teenage boy myself, it was quite fun to try and think like one. Sirius obviously has a much different view on sex then Remus. I hope his reasoning makes sense. Because of his condition, he's used to his body suffering harsh transformations, cruel and unrelenting. He wants someone to be gentle with him. To cherish and love him. I'm not sure if any teenage boys really feel this way, but my Remus does, dammit!**

**Also, the ending of this chapter is not saying that Remus is in love with Hermione, but that he finds both her looks and personality to be very attractive. He has a crush. However, he's also very insecure because of his condition, so he automatically tries to ignore the attraction. **

**Because this chapter is more of a one off of the previous one, it's quite a bit shorter than my normal chapters. We should be back to the regular length next time. I'll try to post either tomorrow or Tuesday. Have a great week friends!**

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: LOL, SwishlikeaFish, your wish, my command. I literally read your second review as I was going to post this, and went back to add this note. Many of your comments are addressed in this chapter. I hope you enjoy! :)

Chapter 4:

Hermione relished her time in class, soaking up the experience. Oh how she'd missed Hogwarts! It was a bit different, of course. Instead of being surrounded by Harry and Ron, she sat between Lily and Sirius. He'd gotten over her rejection quickly when he realized how much he actually _liked_ her, funnily enough. She wasn't the type of girl you snog in a broom cupboard and move on. She was the type you wooed. The type you took on dates. The type you loved. The type you married. Sirius was not looking for that type of relationship, thank you very much. He was more the love 'em and leave 'em type. He'd much prefer to be her friend so he could keep her in his life.

They'd been in class for three days before she saw _him_. Severus Snape. She felt her hackles rise at the sight of him. This boy killed the greatest wizard in the world. Murdered him in cold blood when he was at his weakest. She wanted to spit on him. She couldn't _believe_ she'd spent so many years defending him to Harry and Ron. It disgusted her.

Like Peter, she viewed Snape's future actions as an indicator of who he was at the core. Like Peter, he came up wanting. What bothered her most about their actions was the fact that they committed them for _Voldemort_. That monster cared about nothing but _himself_. He killed Snape, a (in the strictest scientific sense) human being, and for what? A wand? He didn't even have the mercy to do it with the Killing Curse. No, he had his snake violently assault the man before leaving him to a slow, painful venom-induced death. Snape killed a man who'd stood by him at every turn for a man who didn't even care enough to reward his loyalty with a painless death. Snape's betrayal of Dumbledore blew her mind just as thoroughly as Wormtail's betrayal of James. It was all so senseless.

They had DADA and Potions with the Slytherins. She could never understand why they put the houses with the most vicious rivalry together for such dangerous classes. She remembered how Harry had exploded Goyle's potion by throwing one of Fred's Filibuster Fireworks into it. Of course, the distraction had allowed her to steal some much needed Polyjuice ingredients, but that's beside the point. The Slytherins constantly tried to sabotage Gryffindor potions, throwing random ingredients into already volatile brews. Why not pair them for History of Magic and Divination? Those were pretty harmless classes. But no. They went with Defense and Potions.

Their Defense professor was a man named Carfy. The first day of classes had them dueling. As in her time, the students had had a different teacher every year. Professor Carfy wanted to get an idea of the abilities of each student and decided duels were the way to accomplish that task. Dueling. Slytherin and Gryffindor. Was she the only one in this castle with a brain? How could anyone possibly think this would be a good idea?

Hermione was nervous. She had certain instincts that could not simply be ignored because she was in a classroom and not a battle. She fought to win, at any cost, because failure equaled death. Hers or someone she loved. _Merlin_, it had been less than two weeks prior that she'd been fighting for her life in this very castle and Remus had lost his. She stiffened in her seat. It was all so very _real_ to her.

Lily grabbed her hand and dragged her off, claiming her first duel. Hermione tried to remember who she was dueling. It was Harry's mother, _not_ a Death Eater. Lily noticed Hermione's unease and gave her a comforting smile. "It's alright, Hermione. It's not a serious duel."

Hermione nodded shakily before Professor Carfy ordered the students to bow and begin their duels. Hermione's stance was different from Lily's. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see it was different from most. They learned their stance in class. In a safe environment. Hermione learned hers in the Department of Mysteries. She knew formal dueling was worthless in a real fight.

Where Lily had turned her body sideways, offering a smaller target, Hermione was facing straight forward. Lily's stance constricted her movement, where Hermione's allowed her to flow in any direction. She was also crouched further than Lily, ready to spring into action at any moment.

"_Stupefy!" _cried Lily, wand aimed at Hermione.

Hermione felt a haze flow over her consciousness at the assault, her instincts taking over. She rolled deftly to the side and brandished her own wand. She was on the brink of silently casting three successive spells, _Stupefy! Expelliarmus! and Accio wand! _As she raised her wand, she looked Lily in the eye and the fog cleared. It was like staring into Harry's eyes, and she could never feel threatened by him. In that moment she realized what she must do, and it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

She had to _lose_. Purposefully. Hermione did _not_ like to lose, and she positively _loathed_ losing on purpose. But the scene around her proved the necessity of the action. Hermione had been completely aware of her surroundings from the moment the duels began, as was imperative in a real battle. She saw the viciousness with which the Slytherins dueled, and knew she'd never be able to control her instincts if she was faced with one of them. Especially Snape. All she needed was to send a _Sectumsempra _at the greasy haired git. He would no doubt wonder how the new girl knew of the malevolent curse he'd invented. It would bring undo attention on her, and she couldn't have that.

The whole point of her backstory was to make her seem innocuous. Uninteresting. If she showed the extent of her skills, she would undoubtedly bring attention upon her self. Especially since she'd supposedly been homeschooled and didn't come from wealth. Where would she have been able to learn such advanced dueling and defensive spells if she could only practice in her home? The only way to remain out of the spotlight would be to lose. At least she couldn't think of anyone better to lose against than Harry's mum.

With that in mind, Hermione allowed her aim to remain true as she sent a verbal _Stupefy_ at Lily. She stepped forward, as Hermione knew she would due to her restrictive stance. Instead of walking into the disarming spell Hermione had originally planned, Lily was able to return her own spell. This time it was a _Petrificus Totalus_. _Ah, Neville. You have been avenged at last, _Hermione thought wryly as her arms snapped to her sides and she unceremoniously crashed to the floor. She'd pretended to struggle with a shield before allowing the light to hit her. Her arse felt just as bruised as her ego.

Lily rushed to her, releasing the spell. "Sorry Hermione!" she exclaimed. "You look like you hit the ground pretty hard."

"No worries, Lily," Hermione replied with a smile. "And good job."

It was much easier to accept her purposeful defeat without Malfoy around to taunt her, and Lily was very gracious. She made it through the next round against Alice, but lost to Remus in her third go.

Hermione felt she'd made the right decision while watching the other duels. There had been many times when she'd had to literally hold onto her chair in order to keep from leaping from her seat to aide Remus, especially in the last duel. Remus vs. Snape.

It had been physically painful for her to watch. Her heart was beating so fast she felt it might explode. Despite her anxiety, she was able to appreciate Remus' skill. His body was lithe and his instincts deadly. He was avoiding Snape's every offensive attack effortlessly wile sending his own back. Snape was no slouch, either. While he lacked the grace in which Remus dueled, he was no less lethal.

The contest eventually ended with a scowling Snape and a triumphant Remus holding the other boy's wand. Remus was outwardly jovial and polite, but Hermione could see the signs of tension in her love. The tightness of the skin around his eyes and the way he held his body practically screamed his discomfort. He quickly passed Snape his wand before returning to his friends.

Carfy praised both Remus and Snape, but pointed out the aspects of Remus' offensive and defensive tactics that allowed him to out maneuver his opponent. Remus blushed. Snape glared. Hermione smirked. James and Sirius snorted. Class was dismissed.

The group made their way to lunch, hyped up from their lesson. "Oh Mooney, way to hand Snivellus his arse! You're my new hero," Sirius said gleefully.

"I agree, Padfoot!" exclaimed James. "That was the best things I've ever seen. You make me proud to be a Marauder!"

"Is there ever a time when you're _not_ proud, Potter? I'm surprised your head can fit through the portrait hole it's so inflated," Lily responded with a roll of her eyes.

Hermione saw the dejection flash through James' features before he covered it up with a smile. Merlin, James Potter was going to be a soft spot for her. She couldn't stand to see that look on a face so similar to Harry's. "I don't know, Lily. His head looks perfectly proportioned to me," Hermione said with a smile.

Lily groaned in exasperation. "Merlin, Hermione! Why are you always defending him?"

Hermione looked over to see James puff out his chest importantly. It made her burst out laughing. She approached him and squeezed his cheeks. "I can't help myself, Lily. He's just so darn cute!" she cooed in an overly exaggerated baby voice.

James' friends started teasing him as they trotted off ahead of the girls. Hermione turned to Lily to see the other girl eying her strangely. She smiled softly and completed her explanation. "Plus that boy would do just about anything or you, Lily. He loves you. I was watching the duels, you know? In the third round I noticed Mulciber eying you with a malicious gleam in his eye. He started toward you to claim your next round. It was clear he wasn't intending to play nice. James had also been watching over you, and he noticed Mulciber's advance. He was set to duel Remus, but pushed him toward you while he went to intercept Mulciber. Watching them, it was clear Mulciber was the better duelist, but he couldn't compete with James' determination. His determination to ensure Mulciber didn't have the opportunity to get to you if you beat Remus.

"He does not hide his feelings for you, despite your rejection. He puts himself out there time and again. The portraits told me a lot about The Marauders. They told me James had been a bit of a bully. That he and his friends were constantly targeting certain Slytherins. That he could be loud and pompous, but that since his parents died a few months before summer he'd calmed down a bit. He started concentrating more on his studies and is trying to be the kind of man his parents could be proud of. The kind of man worthy of your love. It's what earned him his Head Boy badge. Please don't repeat that, as the portraits overheard the confession in a private conversation James had with Remus.

"I know you say he's nothing but a toerag, and that may have been true at one point, but people can change, Lily. I saw him just yesterday rescuing some Hufflepuff first years from Peeves. He'd even walked them to their next class asking about their first day. He's also been really sweet to me. Just last night he was asking me about my parents and telling me about his. I'm not saying you should marry him and have little raven haired, green eyed babies," Hermione said with a mental snort. "I'm just asking you to not be so harsh with him. It really hurts his feelings, you know?"

"He really told Remus he wanted to be the type of man worthy of me?" she asked in a small voice.

"He did," Hermione responded with a smile, wrapping her arm around Lily's as they walked. It was the truth. The portraits had told Hermione about the private conversation when she'd asked more about those Marauders they'd told her so much about. The portraits had happily obliged and Hermione felt guilty after hearing the story. Like she'd completely invaded James' privacy. She felt a bit better about it now that the information may help him land his girl. Now she could justify it. It was for Harry, you see?

Lily stopped abruptly just as they were about to walk into the Great Hall, effectively pulling Hermione back as well, seeing as she had the girl's arm in a vice like grip.

"What do I say to him?" she asked frantically. "I feel terrible about what I just said. Especially after he'd protected me."

Hermione chuckled. "Relax, Lily. You don't have to say anything. You were just teasing him. He can take it. Just try to interact with him without jumping to the worst possible interpretation of his words and actions."

Lily was unsatisfied and pulled Hermione into an alcove near the Great Hall. "But I've been so awful to him! I can see it now that you've said something. He's been very different since the end of last year. I didn't even know his parents had died. I was so cruel to him when he was mourning them. Oh, I'm an awful person!" Hermione was alarmed to see tears building up in Lily's eyes.

"No Lily," Hermione said forcefully, placing her hands on the other girl's shoulders. "You're not. You can't be expected to act based on information you didn't have. And James is fine. He's as in love with you as ever. I've not even known him a week and I can see it as easily as the nose on my face."

Lily nodded and smiled shyly, her panic visibly receding. "He is rather cute, isn't he?" she asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "Merlin! Now I understand why men have such a hard time with us!"

Lily giggled. "Sorry. It's just…Look, I've never actually admitted this to anyone, barely even to myself, but I feel like I can trust you even though we just met. It almost feels like I've known you all my life, actually" she mused. She returned Hermione's smile before she continued. "I've always…sort of returned James' feelings," she admitted quickly.

Hermione was shocked. "Why on earth do you turn him down all the time, then?"

Lily looked to the ground. "He's so popular. Everyone wants him. He's loud, always the center of attention. He also rarely takes anything serious. Everything is a joke to him. I always thought his dramatic proclamations of love and sappy pet names were just that. A joke. I thought he was having fun with me, humiliating me like he did Sev – erm…my former best friend," she admitted, tears finally falling down her cheeks. "I guess I always reacted so harshly to prove I'm not pathetic enough to love someone who constantly made a fool of me. Even though deep down I knew I was." The last sentence came out so quietly Hermione barely heard it.

Hermione gently pulled her friend into a hug. She tried to comfort the girl as best she could while her mind grappled with shock. She had been about to say Severus. Her former best friend, _Severus_. Hermione's mind railed against the thought. She knew The Marauders treated Snape abysmally while they were in school, but she didn't know Snape and Lily had been _friends_. While they were alone on the hunt Harry had confessed what happened to cause Snape to cancel his Occlumency lessons. He'd seen a Pensieve Memory of his father humiliating the man. His mother had tried to defend him and he'd called her a Mudblood in front of the gathered crowd. That must be where the 'former' part comes into play. She'd thought Lily defended the evil git because it was the right thing to do. She hadn't realized it was out of friendship. Merlin, no wonder Lily had such a low opinion of James.

"You're not pathetic, Lily. We can't help who we love. Perhaps your magic recognized something in James. Some sort of connection. It was enough to draw you in emotionally, but you intellectually rebelled due to his attitude toward your friend. Magic is a funny thing. Or maybe you saw the sincerity in his claims but felt like you'd be betraying your friend if you returned his feelings. I don't know. All I know is that you, Lily Evans, are far from pathetic," Hermione responded once she'd regained her wits.

Hermione could feel Lily smile against her shoulder before letting out a shuddering breath. "Thanks, Hermione," she responded.

"You're welcome, Lily," Hermione said as the two girls pulled away from one another. Lily was wiping her tears when Hermione's stomach growled loudly.

Both girls chuckled. "Let's get you fed, girlie," Lily said while looping her arm through Hermione's and leading her back toward the Great Hall.

The girls were greeted warmly by their dorm mates, joining them next to the Marauders. "Everything alright, Lily-bug, Hermione?" asked James with a smile.

Lily glanced at Hermione before turning towards James. "Yes, James. Just a little girl talk, you know? Thanks for asking," she responded with a shy, timid smile.

Hermione smiled widely at Lily before turning to James. He stared at Lily in shock before his features broke out into a goofy, lopsided grin. When he glanced over at Hermione she smirked and gave him a wink before turning her attention to her lunch.

Lily finished her lunch quickly, siting the need to grab a book from the library before Transfiguration. Hermione suspected she wanted a few moments to herself to think over what she had said. Lily had barely been out of sight for ten seconds when James slid into the seat beside her and threw his arm around her shoulders.

"What did you say to her, Mione?" he asked eagerly.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Jamsie," she replied, feigning innocence.

The other Marauders chuckled, but James ignored them. "You do so. You had your heads together from the moment we walked ahead, and then Lily pulled you aside before you entered the Hall."

"Oh that? Lily already explained that, James. It was just a bit of girl talk," Hermione replied, thoroughly enjoying herself.

James groaned. "Please, Mione! Lily has never smiled at me. Ever. You speak to her for five minutes and she's showing me her pearly whites. I need to know what I did right so I can continue to do it," he replied desperately.

"Just be yourself, James. If you can't be yourself with someone you shouldn't be in a relationship with them, anyway," Hermione responded sincerely.

"But I love her, Mione," he responded seriously.

"I know you do, James," said Hermione. Then she whispered, "For what it's worth, I think you're meant to be together. Just show her the real you. The James that talks to the new girl about the death of her parents and rescues firsties from Peeves. Just be genuine."

James grinned. "You really think so?" he asked. At her nod he pulled her into a massive hug. "Thanks Mione! Whatever you want, it's yours! What can Mr. Prongs do for you?"

Hermione thought about it for a moment before snorting in amusement. "How about you name your first born after me?" she suggested with a smirk.

"What if it's a boy?" he asked.

"Hmmm…Herman?" Hermione asked, her mind cackling. Oh, Harry would be cursing her into oblivion right now.

"No way!" James exclaimed.

"Well, how about Hermy, then?" she negotiated with a smirk.

James groaned, but Hermione was not deterred. "You owe me, Mr. Prongs. You said whatever I want!"

"I didn't think you'd ask me to name my first born Hermy!" he defended aghast.

Hermione laughed out loud. "Not Hermy, then. How about Harry? That's pretty close."

James seemed to mull over the name for a few moments. "Yeah. I can get behind Harry. Because you got Lily Evans to smile at me, I hereby declare my first born will be named either Harry or Hermione!"

The table snickered amusedly as James' declaration before the group packed their things and began the trek to Transfigurations. Hermione couldn't help but sink into her chair in contentment once they'd arrived. She'd always loved McGonagall's class. Arithmancy may have been her favorite subject, but Professor McGonagall was her favorite teacher.

She studiously took notes as McGonagall explained human transfiguration. It was a terribly fascinating subject. She'd been excited to learn it since her fourth year when Viktor Krum transfigured his head into a shark in order to breathe under water and rescue her from the depths of the Black Lake. She smiled as she watched the Professor pace around the room while passionately delivering her lecture. She couldn't help but picture the woman running through the castle with an army of animated desks all around her. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the sight had been beyond amusing.

After Transfigurations the group was off to Herbology, which was their last class for the day. They'd learned about the properties of Aconite and how to care for it. After class, James and Lily left for a meeting with the Headmaster. They were going over the schedule, activities and patrol requirements for the year.

Hermione told her remaining friends she wanted to get a start on her assignments and needed to visit the library. Sirius and Peter immediately began walking in the opposite direction, but Remus asked to join her. She happily agreed, little butterflies swimming around her stomach at the thought of spending some time alone with him.

He was carefully scrutinizing her as they walked toward the library. "What?" she asked. "Have I got something in my teeth or something?"

Remus shook his head. "There's something different about you, Hermione," he responded.

"No two people are the same, Remus," she responded, slightly panicking inside.

He didn't respond, causing her disquiet to increase. "Why did you let Lily beat you in the duel?" he asked.

Hermione tried to school her features into passive curiosity. She wasn't sure if she succeeded. Especially when dealing with a lycanthrope. They may only transform one night a month, but they have heightened senses all the time.

"Why do you think I let her win?"

"I was watching you; it had taken me all of two seconds to disarm Peter. I'd seen everyone else duel before and wanted to see how the newest lion would fare. When Lily first tried to stun you, I saw you react almost instinctually. Completely without thought, like you'd dodged a million curses before. You were about to end the duel, I could see it in your eyes, but then you looked up to Lily. I saw the moment you decided to throw the duel. It looked like it was physically painful for you. You pretended to fumble with that shield and let Lily hit you. Why?"

"Those are some observational skills you've got there, Remus," she responded with a raised eyebrow. Remus shifted nervously. She felt guilty, but she'd decided to point out any wolf traits she noticed. That combined with the obvious tells of the full moon would give her enough back up to reveal her knowledge and offer him the potion. He would just have to make it through one more full moon without it.

"Yes well, you don't get to be the last man standing amongst seventh years without them," he responded. Hermione could hear the slight panic in his voice that others would probably miss.

She nodded her head contemplatively. "I don't like to duel."

"Why? You're obviously proficient."

"Can you just leave it? I don't want to talk about it," she practically begged.

Remus' face grew hard and distant. "No. If I am going to allow you to be around my friends I need to know why some strange girl shows up out of nowhere and tries to keep her abilities hidden."

Hermione looked at him incredulously. "What? You think I'm dangerous? That Dumbledore would have allowed me to come here if I was?"

"He's been known to do it before," he said quietly. "Dumbledore always tries to see the best in people."

Hermione pulled Remus into an empty classroom on the way to the library. This was no conversation to have out in the open. After warding the room and placing privacy charms, she turned her attention back to Remus.

"I don't know where this is coming from, or what I've done to make you think I'm out to get you. I don't like to duel so I let Lily win. That's it," Hermione replied, trying to sound confident.

"And you lied about your parents' deaths," he responded coolly.

Hermione blanched. "Excuse me?"

"Well, I heard you talking with James last night in the common room. The way you spoke about their deaths seemed a bit rehearsed. Didn't seem genuine to me. I didn't really think too much about it at the time, though. I mean, who lies about their parents dying? But I started thinking about it again after you hid your abilities. I wasn't sure you were lying until your reaction to the accusation. Now I'm certain," he responded coldly.

Angry tears began to well in her eyes. Anger at Remus. Why was he treating her this way? Anger at herself. How could she forget that he'd always been able to read her like a book?

"You don't know anything about me, Remus, so don't act like you do. I've been through a lot in my life. I'm just trying to start over," she responded testily.

"How can I believe anything you say? You've done nothing but lie since you got here. A war is coming, Hermione. I can't let someone into my circle of friends if I can't trust them!" he responded harshly. Hermione's heart ached as she looked into his eyes and saw the distinct lack of warmth. His older version had never looked at her like that. But then, that Remus knew the truth about her. Knew he could trust her. And this Remus was right. She had been lying since she got there.

She desperately wanted to tell him the truth, but she couldn't risk it. She trusted him implicitly, but there was no way Remus would be able to remain friendly, and sleep in the same dorm, as Peter if he knew the truth. He wouldn't be able to keep the truth from Sirius and James. It would be unfair to ask him to, and it would be impossible to explain the story without revealing the treachery. She decided tell him as much of the truth as she could without revealing her time travel.

"You're right. My parents aren't dead," Hermione revealed quietly.

Remus scoffed. "So what? Did you find out James' parents' died and decide to use that as a way to get close to him?" he asked angrily.

"What? No! Merlin, Remus! I just…" She turned around and looked to the ground, trying to decide how to reveal as much of the truth within her farce of an existence in the 1970s.

"You just?" he spat.

"I obliviated them. Of my existence. They have no idea they have a daughter," she said, tears streaming silently down her cheeks. "You're right, Remus. A war is coming. It's touched my life already. My mum is not a witch. She's a muggle. Both of my parents are. They refused to move on without me, but I couldn't leave. Not after what those monsters did. They killed my best friend," she revealed shakily, tears falling in earnest. "But I couldn't let my parents stay. They'd find us. They'd kill them. I wiped my existence from their memories, gave them new identities and sent them somewhere. I have no idea where. I obliviated myself of their location. So you see? They may not be dead, but they are just as lost to me as if they were."

"You're serious," he replied aghast.

"No, that's Padfoot," Hermione said in an attempt of a joke.

Remus didn't laugh, but when she turned around her eyes found the warmth he had always shown her. His features had softened in sympathy and guilt. "I'm so sorry, Hermione. I shouldn't have been so harsh with you," he said softly.

Hermione wrapped her arms around herself, feeling very vulnerable. "It's okay, Remus. I understand the need to protect your friends. Believe me, I understand better than most."

"I do believe you," he replied earnestly. "I don't understand how you learned magic, though. If both your parents were muggles."

Hermione was conflicted about using the explanation that popped into her mind. She'd been trying to be as honest as possible, after all. It might cause Remus to reveal his condition, though, and then she could save him from the pain of his next transformation. She decided to go with it, knowing Harry would approve wholeheartedly.

"Harry," she replied. "My best friend."

"Harry? You asked James to name his firstborn after your best friend?" Remus asked.

Hermione smiled faintly. "Yeah. James reminds me so much of Harry. They look so much alike. If I didn't know better, I'd say they were brothers," she replied amusedly. She hoped some incarnation of Harry and Ron were able to watch her in this moment. They'd get a kick out of that. She could almost hear Ron snort. _She's not lying, mate. _ He'd say. _She does know better. She knows you're not his brother, you're his son._

"That's why you are always looking at him so lovingly. I thought you might have a crush on him, and was confused as to why you'd try and help him out with Lily. I'm ashamed to admit I thought you were up to something sinister."

Hermione snorted. This conversation was so surreal to her. The man she loved just accused her of having a crush on her best friend's future father. "No. I can just tell they're meant for each other. I know I just met them, but I want them to be happy." And Harry to be born, she added mentally.

"Right," he said with a small smile. "So, Harry was a wizard, then?" he clarified.

"Yes. Harry was a wizard. We lived next door to each other. We've been friends since we were in diapers. His parents witnessed me summon a toy and knew I was a witch. They'd told my parents, so I grew up knowing about the magical world. Harry, well, something happened to him a few years before we were to start Hogwarts," she said evasively. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she thought about everything Harry _had_ been through, even if this particular instance was fabricated. "Because of what happened, his parents decided to keep him out of Hogwarts and teach him at home. I didn't want to go without him, so they offered to teach me as well," she responded softly.

"What…What happened to him?" Remus asked cautiously.

Hermione looked to the ground, her chin trembling. Between the duels and this confrontation, her emotions were all over the place and her nerves were shot. "He was bitten. He," she hesitated, clearing her throat audibly. "He suffered from lycanthropy."

Remus sucked in a breath.

She looked up to see his horrified features. She decided to respond in the same way she did when someone judged Remus for his condition. "Don't look at me like that! He couldn't help that he was bitten, Remus. It wasn't his fault. Don't you dare judge him!"

Remus looked taken aback. "I wasn't judging, Hermione! I swear I wasn't. It's just quite rare to see someone so accepting of a werewolf."

"Well, most people are prejudiced idiots. He was the same person as he always was. Only he had better reflexes and senses. He got a little bit more protective during the days preceding the full moon. He was changed against his will one night per month. Every other moment he was nothing more or less than my best friend," she defended, thinking of the older Remus.

Remus was looking at her in wonder. He gently grasped her hand in his and led her over to the empty desks. After sitting her down, he pulled a desk flush against hers and took a seat. He picked up her hand again, cradling it in both of his as he asked, "What happened to him, Hermione? What happened to Harry?"

She swallowed hard, trying to hold the tears in her eyes. She'd spent so much time thinking about saving Harry that she didn't deal with the trauma of seeing his dead body in Hagrid's arms. It haunted her dreams, but she pushed the vision away when she woke. Telling herself it would never happen. That she'd change it. Now Remus was forcing her to not only think about it, but to lie about it. It didn't sit well with her, but she'd backed herself into a bit of a corner.

Her subconscious spoke inside her mind, using Harry's voice. _It's okay, Hermione. You have to keep the truth a secret until it's all over. Then you can tell him everything. He'll understand._

Hermione breathed deeply. Her subconscious was trying to trick her into rationalizing her lies by using Harry's voice to placate her. It worked, despite her acknowledgment. "Harry had to register his condition with the Ministry. There are Death Eaters working there. I know there are. I'm positive that's how they found out about him. We were just living our lives, you know." So far everything but the first statement was the truth on its own. Death Eaters did work in the Ministry. She was also positive it was a Death Eater that told Voldemort of the prophecy; she just didn't know which one. She did, however, know which Death Eater betrayed Harry's location.

"From his registration, they knew about his condition and the fact that his mum was a muggle-born. They targeted his family for fun. You know, just a bit of torture and murder to pass the time," she spat, disgusted. She knew what those monsters were capable of.

She pulled her hand from Remus' and slid it up her left sleeve to feel the raised skin of the scar Bellatrix had given her while they were captured at Malfoy Manor. Remus watched the movement with raised eyebrows. Slowly, she turned her arm over and began to pull back the sleeve. "I was there when they arrived. We were having lessons," she said.

She watched Remus stare at her unmarred flesh in confusion as she removed the glamour hiding the scar. Soon enough the angry red letters of the word carved into her flesh came into view. 'Mudblood'.

Remus sucked in a sharp breath. "Hermione," he whispered, clearly horrified, while he lightly ran his fingers over the raised flesh.

Hermione felt a shudder slide up her spine at the gentle touch. "Who did this to you?" he asked, the hardness in his voice standing out starkly in comparison to the gentleness of his touch. She could feel her magic reaching out to his, trying to soothe his anger. When it reached him, she felt it wrap around him contentedly, being reunited with an old friend.

"It doesn't mat – " she began before Remus cut her off.

"It does matter. Who?" he asked. His anger had been soothed, but he was still determined.

"Remus," she whispered. "You have to promise me you won't tell anyone about this. I'm just…I'm really not ready for people to know this about me," she requested quietly.

Remus replaced the glamour on the scar and pulled her sleeve back down before taking up her hand again. "I promise I won't tell anyone," he vowed sincerely.

"It was Bellatrix Lestrange," she revealed softly.

Remus sucked in a breath. "Sirius' – "

"Yes," she interrupted. "It's actually why I know so much about you all. Dumbledore told me some of her relatives were here. I asked the portraits about them, and I ended up hearing about all of you."

"But, how are you so at ease around him. You have been from the start."

"Sirius didn't choose to be related to her, Remus. I try to judge people based on their own character, not that of their relatives. Sirius is…well, he's very easy to get along with. It's glaringly obvious from the moment you meet him that he's nothing like _her_."

Remus nodded his head in understanding. "How did you get away from her?" he asked. "She's a well-known Death Eater and a very powerful witch."

"Harry. He died for me," Hermione stated quietly. It was true, she knew. Harry didn't try to run from the castle as Voldemort had accused. He'd walked out to the Forbidden Forest in the hopes of protecting his friends and loved ones. "He sacrificed himself in order to allow me to escape. I owe him my life."

Hermione felt both emotionally exhausted and liberated at the same time. While she had told Dumbledore the events of her past pertinent to the war, she hadn't delved into any of the emotional baggage associated with what her life had been like for the past year. The running. The danger. The torture. The abandonment. The deaths.

While everything she said was completely out of context, most of it was true at its base. She felt purged. Empty of all those tumultuous emotions. She knew she could trust Remus, and would have been heartbroken if she'd been alienated from him and her new friends because of _his_ mistrust. She couldn't even stand the thought. As long as he didn't think it would endanger his friends, he would keep her secrets.

"Thank you for listening to my story, Remus. I think it really helped me to get it all out," she said, giving his hand a grateful squeeze.

Remus smiled sadly, understanding her desire to end the discussion of her past. "Thank you for trusting me with your story. I promise it will stay between us…Hermione, I feel like I should repay you. You gave me a huge piece of yourself today; I'd like to give you a piece of me in return," he stated quietly.

Hermione looked up to him curiously, trying to keep her heartbeat steady. She knew what he was going to say before he even said it. "I was bit by Fenrir Greyback when I was seven years old. I also suffer from lycanthropy," he stated quietly.

She stopped trying to control her heartbeat and allowed it to pump furiously. She was hoping Remus would read the change as shock and not joy. She could now get him the potion without waiting a cycle!

"Really?" she asked.

He nodded his head sadly. "I understand more than anyone how difficult it is. The Headmaster would have allowed Harry to come to Hogwarts, though. He let me come," he said softly.

Hermione squeezed his hand again. "I can help you, Remus," she revealed with a smile.

He looked up sharply. "What? What do you mean? I don't want you doing anything dangerous on my account, Hermione. Promise me you won't," he demanded.

"It's not dangerous, Remus. It's just, you know, Harry was bit when he was 8. We, along with Harry's parents, began studying and researching the disease from the moment he was infected. After a few years, we were able to develop a potion. It doesn't stop the transformation, but it drastically decreases the trauma of the experience," she explained.

Remus looked at her with barely contained hope. "What does it do?" he asked excitedly.

"Well, I know the transformation is excruciatingly painful," she said sympathetically, using her finger to draw random patterns on the back of the hand she held. "The potion makes the experience more natural. From what we researched, you'll feel more like an animgus than a werewolf. This is speculation, as we never had an animagus to ask, but there was no pain and he retained his mind, just like an animagus. He still had those wolf instincts leading up to the full moon, with the added aggression and, in my case, protectiveness. And in his wolf form, he still felt...well, wolfy. But from what I understand, this is also like the animagus transformation. They feel their animal's instincts when they change, but their human mind is ultimately in control. That's the way it is on the potion."

"You…you could make this for me?" he asked timidly.

Hermione smiled warmly. "Of course, Remus. I'm just glad you told me. I would have undoubtedly figured it out myself after the first full moon, but now you won't have to suffer through the one coming up. I already have a cache of the ingredients in my potions stores from when I brewed it before."

She looked at her watch to see that it was approaching dinner time. "I'll brew after dinner. The full moon is in two weeks, and you have to take it every day for a week leading up to the night of transformation. The brew takes about four days to fully mature," she finished, standing from her chair.

"I'll help you with it. I'd like to learn how to make it, if you don't mind," he responded shyly.

"Sure, if you want. It's a very difficult potion, I must warn you. I'm quite adept at brewing it, though."

"I trust you, Hermione. I feel like a right arse for ever questioning you, to be honest," he said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"It's fine, Remus. Honestly. You were just looking out for the best interests of your friends. You notice things others don't because of your heightened senses. I understand why you'd be suspicious. And I actually feel so much better knowing someone knows the truth, and telling you everything was rather cathartic. I really hate lying to everyone, but I don't want to draw any Death Eater attention. It's a catch 22."

Without thinking she approached Remus and pulled him into an embrace. She'd hugged him so many times before; the action was quite natural for her. He stiffened at first, and she was afraid she'd made mistake. Just when she was about to pull away and apologize he lifted his arms and placed them around her body, holding her tightly. "Thank you, Hermione. You have no idea what this means to me," he confessed in a whisper. She knew he was thanking her for many different things. For trusting him with the truth. For the potion. For accepting his condition and touching him without hesitation. So many people treated werewolves like they'd be infected by a mere touch.

"You're welcome, Remus. I'm just glad I could help," she responded.

When they parted, Hermione immediately missed the warmth of his body against hers. He walked to the door and opened it, gesturing for her to leave before him. He looked down at her curiously as they made their way to dinner.

"Where are we going to brew?" he asked.

"The Room of Requirement."

Remus stopped dead in his tracks, and Hermione turned after a few seconds when she realized she was walking alone.

"Remus?"

"You found the Room of Requirement? I've never known anyone to find it!" he exclaimed.

Hermione chuckled. "Then maybe people should talk to house elves more often. I wanted to train over the summer to improve my defense, instincts and stamina. I don't ever want to be a victim again, Remus. I asked one of the elves the best place to go and they took me there. Bloody brilliant room," she responded with a smirk.

Remus smiled back at her. "Well, you're just full of surprises, aren't you Miss Granger?"

"Now that's a secret I'll never tell," she responded with a chuckle.

Hermione turned toward the Great Hall, but Remus grabbed her hand. "Let's eat in the kitchens. We'll never get away from the others if we eat in the Great Hall," he responded, dragging her away.

She giggled and followed him, pleased that he never released her hand.

**A/N:**

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! You guys rock my socks!**

**Alarice, ashley4948, baroke, Lex Waltz, Tovah Ignacia, Miss. Silver Star, IAMAMANDA, RabxBlack, Dissapointed, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, Twilight Gleek, SeekerGirl, forestreject, Merteuil, Kayleigh-FanfictionAddict-21, SakuraLeeChan, Smithback, amrawo, LanaMacK, theundyinglands, Jen103 and SwishlikeaFish (x2!)**

**You guys seemed to like the Remus POV, so I'll probably do some more throughout the story. I love reading your feedback. Makes my day!**

**Now, I'm a bit nervous about this chapter. I started this story with only a few things set in my mind. It would be a time travel Remus/Hermione story. I also knew how it would begin and end. I'm just writing the middle willy nilly. I open a blank Word documents and write what comes. I got to the end of the chapter when I started doubting myself. Thinking perhaps it was too soon for Hermione to reveal the details she revealed. In the end, I decided that Remus would notice Hermione's dishonesty due to his heightened senses, and that he'd be paying extra scrutiny to her due to his crush. And with his observation about her having seen battle, he'd be interested in her duel. He'd know she lost on purpose. He'd be protective over his friends, and therefore demand the truth. Plus, Becca87 mentioned that Hermione's backstory seemed rehearsed and fake, so I decided to use that.**

**I'm going to try real hard not to have them start dating immediately. It's so hard because I want them together! I will definitely make them close friends first, but this heart-to-heart brought them very close. Meh. We'll see what comes. **

**I had fun writing it, anyway. Please let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

When they arrived to the kitchens, Remus tickled the pear and opened the door for Hermione. Only then did he let go of her hand. The pair was immediately surrounded by little elves, Daisy pushing her way through to get to Hermione.

"Miss Hermione! What can Daisy dos for yous?" she asked excitedly.

"Hello Daisy!" Hermione responded brightly. "Do you think Remus and I could get a portion of whatever you're serving for dinner tonight? I don't want you to go to any extra trouble for us."

"Of course, Miss," she responded, taking Hermione's hand and leading her to a table off to the side. After taking their seats, Daisy scurried off to gather their dinner.

"Wow, Daisy seems to have taken a liking to you," Remus commented.

"Yeah, she's been great. She took very good care of me this summer," Hermione responded with fond a smile.

Daisy made her way back to the pair levitating their dinner and carrying a pitcher of pumpkin juice. "Daisy has to take care of Miss Hermione," she said proudly. "Miss Hermione was much too skinny when she arrived. Daisy has to make sure she eats proper meals and doesn't skip them because she is too busy with her books."

After placing their meals in front of them, she snapped her fingers to conjure two goblets and placed the pitcher between them.

Hermione chuckled. "Yes, Daisy, and I appreciate it. Are Kelpie and Creasy enjoying the toys I got them?" Hermione asked.

The elf beamed. "Oh yes, Miss! They's be loving the marble track and animated stuffed animals! They's be playing with them for hours!"

Hermione returned the elf's smile. "I'm so glad! And thank you for dinner, Daisy. This looks amazing, as always."

"You's be welcome, Miss. Let Daisy know if you be needing anything else," she responded before popping away.

When she turned her attention back to Remus, she noticed him staring at her in shock. "What was that about?" he asked.

"What?"

"All that!" he exclaimed.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Remus."

"Okay, let's start out with why were you too skinny when you arrived," he prompted.

Hermione answered him absentmindedly as she began to cut her meat. "I was on the run a bit before I sought help from Dumbledore. I arrived here a bit malnourished," she responded nonchalantly.

"You were on the run? Merlin, Hermione!" he exclaimed.

"What?" she asked. "I couldn't very well stay at my parents' house, could I? We had a magical tent. I camped out in the forest for a little while before deciding to approach Dumbledore."

Remus looked at her like she had two heads. "How can you be so calm about all this?" he asked.

"What exactly will I accomplish by raving like a lunatic?" she asked sarcastically. "Look Remus, I've had some crappy things happen to me. Especially recently. But I've come to terms with my past, present and future. Are there days I have to force myself to get out of bed? Of course. Do I sometimes want to mope around and feel sorry for myself? Sure. But that would be a sorry way to repay my best friend, practically my brother, for his sacrifice," she explained passionately. "He died so I could _live_. So that's what I'm trying to do. I'm going live my life, and try to find my happiness in this world. Anything less would be an insult to Harry's memory."

Remus smiled strangely at Hermione, and she wondered what he was thinking. "You're one amazing witch, Hermione Granger," he said sincerely.

Hermione flushed. Remus was looking at her very intensely. He seemed to have realized what he said after a few moments, and blushed furiously before looking back down to his plate.

They ate in companionable silence for a few moments before he spoke again. "And Kelpie and Creasy? What about that?"

"You're just full of questions today, aren't you Remus?" she teased.

"I just want to know more about you, is all," he said, his blush returning once again. Hermione felt her stomach flip. _He'_s _so adorable when he's embarrassed, _she thought. Her face brightened at the thought that he may have a crush on her.

"Oh. I want to get to know you too," she responded with a smile, which he shyly returned. "And in answer to your question, Kelpie and Creasy are Daisy's children. Daisy really has been taking very good care of me. I wanted to do something nice for her, and I thought she'd appreciate some toys for her little ones."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Most people don't give a second thought to house-elves. They give them orders and then forget about them."

"Well, we've already established that most people are bigoted idiots, haven't we?" she responded heatedly. "The fact that wizards think they have a right to enslave another sentient creature is absolutely ridiculous! Most purebloods treat their elves abysmally, yet there's nothing the poor creatures can do! They have no rights! Oh, it makes me so angry!"

By the time Hermione finished her rant, both of Remus' eyebrows were at his hairline. "Wow, you really feel strongly about this, don't you?"

"Of course I do! Remus, I'm a muggle-born. Do you know what those same people think of me? If they had their way I'd either be dead or chained in a dungeon so they could torture and have their wicked way with my broken body at their leisure." Hermione heard Remus let out a low growl at her proclamation, but continued without acknowledging the sound. She was used to hearing Remus growl, especially nearing the full moon whenever Sirius flirted with her. "They have this delusion of superiority that, in their minds, gives them the right to treat anyone they deem unworthy as lower than dirt. That includes house elves, muggle-borns, and werewolves," she whispered the last word so only Remus would hear.

Remus sighed warily. "It's just the way the world is, Hermione. You can't change it."

"Why not? In the States, slavery was abolished and the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964. While there is still discrimination, they are working toward a society that provides equal rights to all persons under the law. It's not going to happen overnight, but as the generations go by, change will occur. Why can't we do something similar in our world?"

"You do realize that attitude is exactly what the Purebloods are against? Changing our society? And Merlin, using an example of advancement in muggle civilization? All that speech would do is reinforce their beliefs," he reasoned.

"I'm not saying all magical traditions should be modernized to follow muggle advancements. I'm not asking to replace parchment with leaf paper or quills with pens and pencils. All I'm saying is that some traditions are worth a second look. Wizarding prejudice is one of them," Hermione defended vehemently. Her cheeks were flushed from their debate, and she enjoyed every second of it. She knew Remus didn't disagree with her; he was merely playing devil's advocate. They'd spent so many hours doing this in her old time, and she was thrilled to be able to continue having these types of discussions with the young Remus.

Remus chuckled. "You're right, I just don't see it. People are too stuck in their ways," he responded. "It's only going to get worse, you know. With He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named gaining power."

"His name his Voldemort, Remus," Hermione responded.

Remus flinched. "Don't say his name!" He hissed.

"Why not? Voldemort Voldemort Voldemort! See, nothing happened!" she laughed.

"Hermione!" Remus whisper shouted. "Stop saying it!"

"Honestly Remus, fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself. And that's how Voldie operates. Sure he's a powerful wizard, no one can argue that, but he gains so much of his power over others through fear. If you were faced with him right now, you'd be too scared to defend yourself properly. Well, I'm not afraid of him. He's just a man, and if he was here right now I'd give him everything I had. He'd probably still win, but I certainly wouldn't make it easy for him."

"So you're not afraid to die?" he asked, surprised.

Hermione regarded him for a few moments before she responded. "The only certainty in life is death, Remus. It's inescapable; it will come for us all. What's the point of fearing something you can't avoid? Besides, to the well-organized mind, death is just the next great adventure," she finished, quoting Dumbledore.

Remus let out a shaky breath. "Wow, Hermione. Did you even get the Sorting Hat all the way on your head before it shouted 'Gryffindor'?" he asked.

Hermione chuckled. "I actually had quite the conversation with it," she responded, pushing her plate away. "Now, how are you at Potions?" she asked, wanting to move the conversation away from such dark topics. Plus, she knew Remus was pants at Potions. He'd never be able to brew for himself. She was really just humoring him by allowing him to try.

"Erm…" he started, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not great?"

Hermione snickered. "Oh, Mr. Lupin. You're in for a rough couple of hours, then," she responded, standing from the table. Remus followed her action, and the two of them made their way out of the kitchens.

Remus opened the door and bowed, "Milady," he said cheekily, gesturing for her to exit first.

Hermione curtsied with a giggle. "Why thank you kind sir," she responded before walking through the door.

Remus chuckled, "Lead the way fair maiden," he said while offering her his elbow. She smiled up at him and slipped her hand around his arm.

The pair discussed their classes while they made their way up to the seventh floor corridor. When they reached the blank patch of wall across from the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy trying to teach trolls ballet, Hermione asked Remus to stand to the side. She then walked back and forth in front of the wall three times while thinking, _I need a private place to brew Wolfsbane that will be inaccessible to any human other than myself or Remus Lupin._

A door appeared in the wall upon her third pass. "Wow," Remus breathed. "Amazing."

Hermione smirked. "At least wait until you've seen the inside," she teased.

When she opened the door, Hermione saw a state of the art brewing station with top quality tools. "Now you can say it's amazing," she said with mirth in her voice.

Remus smiled down at her. "Amazing," he reiterated.

"After we finish brewing you can take a shot at creating a room," she said.

"It will create whatever you want?"

"Sure. Within the limitations of the Five Principal Exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, of course," she replied.

"Ah, so it can't create food, then?" he clarified.

"Nope, no food. Although you can call a house elf to bring you food," she replied. "Or potions supplies, for that matter. _Daisy_!"

The little elf popped into the room in the next moment. "Yes, Miss Hermione! What can Daisy be doing for yous?"

"Can you pop into my dorm and get my potions supplies out of my trunk?" she asked.

"Of course, Miss! Daisy will bes right back!"

Remus smirked at Hermione. "Doesn't that go against your views on house-elf enslavement?" he asked.

Hermione huffed indignantly. "Hogwarts elves are treated very well, and they can request clothes if they want to be free. They're given time off and they're provided a petty cash account to make personal purchases. I don't begrudge elves their work. I know they enjoy it. I just want them to have choices and to be treated fairly," she responded defensively.

Remus chuckled, "You're so cute when you're all riled up like that," he said.

Hermione flushed scarlet, followed quickly by Remus. His mouth seemed to be running away with him that evening. He cleared his throat and tried to change the subject back to the elves. "How do you know all that about the Hogwarts elves," he asked, his voice a pitch higher than normal.

Hermione smiled at Remus' admission and subsequent discomfort while trying to figure out how she could know about the Hogwart elves' conditions without having had long drawn out discussions with Dobby during her SPEW campaign. "Dumbledore," she said, trying not to sound triumphant over her quick thinking. "He gave me permission to call on Daisy, but I refused to call on an enslaved elf. He explained their conditions. They are not technically enslaved if all they must do to gain their freedom is request clothes. They are essentially here by choice," she explained.

Remus nodded thoughtfully. "I never realized that about the elves here."

Hermione's response was cut off by Daisy's return. "Here you go, Miss Hermione! Can Daisy be doing anything else for yous?"

"That will be it, Daisy. Thanks so much!"

"Yous be welcome, Miss!" she crowed happily before popping out of the room.

Remus chuckled as Hermione began to set up their workstation. "How about I'll brew and you can take notes? It's quite difficult to brew, as I've said."

"I feel bad making you do all the work, though," he responded.

Hermione smiled at his thoughtfulness. "Don't be. I enjoy making it, and I'll be happy during the full moon knowing that a piece of me is with you, dulling the experience from a nightmare to more of a nuisance."

She smiled warmly at Remus, hoping he could sense her sincerity. He regarded her intensely with a grateful smile. She noticed his eyes glance down to her mouth and she so hoped he'd lean in and press his lips to hers. Alas he did not. She knew it was too soon for him. He'd just met her, after all, but she couldn't help want him anyway.

Clearing her throat, she turned back to her preparations and began explaining the properties of each ingredient that allowed the potion to work. She then started prepping them and adding them to the cauldron with care.

A few hours later, the potion began letting of a faint blue smoke, signaling its completion. "All done," she said brightly. "Now all we have to do is let it sit for four days. You'll start taking it a week before the full moon. I have to warn you, it tastes awful."

Remus nodded his head, dumbfounded. "Right," he said.

Hermione burst out laughing. His hair was all over the place from where he'd run his hands through it while trying to understand the brewing. His fingers were covered in ink and he looked completely overwhelmed. "It's alright, Remus. I'll brew it for you," she soothed.

"I can't have you brewing it for me for the rest of my life, Hermione," he said.

"Why not?" she asked without thinking. At his raised eyebrows she realized what she was offering. "I mean, you know…I don't…I don't have anyone, Remus. I'm hoping to make friends here that will last a lifetime. I don't mean to be presumptuous..." she trailed off, shifting her weight uncomfortably.

Remus smiled down at her as he took a few tentative steps forward. It was his turn to pull her into an embrace, and her heart fluttered at the contact. She allowed herself to melt into him, placing her head on his chest. He placed his cheek on the top of her head as he held her. "I'd like that, Hermione. And not just because of the potion. I don't want you to think it's only about that," he responded quietly.

Hermione nodded her acknowledgment and sighed contentedly. Remus pulled away after a few moments, and Hermione again mourned the loss. It would never be enough.

Remus approached the door and opened it for her. After she walked out, Hermione stood off to the side to allow Remus to experiment with the room. "So, if I change the room it won't affect the potion?" he asked.

"Nope," she replied with an amused smile. Remus looked like a kid on Christmas morning.

He walked back and forth in front of the wall three times before a door appeared. "What did you ask it for?" she enquired.

"A comfortable place to spend time with friends," he responded, pulling the door open. The room was basically a replica of the Gryffindor Common room.

"Wicked," he said, amazed. "Show me your training room," he requested excitedly.

Hermione snickered at his enthusiasm before pacing back and forth in front of the wall three times. When she opened the door, she was greeted with a room similar to the one they conjured for the DA. There was an open space and practice dummies, as well as an obstacle course and running track. Hermione had been using this version of the room since she arrived in the 1970s. She had never been terribly concerned about physical fitness, seeing as traversing the castle on a daily basis provided plenty of exercise. However, after spending the past year on the run, her body had become weak and underdeveloped. She wanted to be fit and able to fight. She owed Harry that much.

"Wow, this was not what I expected," Remus commented while looking around the room.

"What did you expect?" she asked.

"Dunno. Not this. It's not just a magical training room, but muggle as well."

Hermione snorted. "So wanting your body to be physically fit is a muggle thing now?"

Remus laughed. "You know purebloods don't like to sweat."

"Pansies," Hermione snorted. "Maybe if they worked up some endorphins every once in a while they wouldn't be such evil gits."

Remus guffawed at that. "Don't let James or Sirius hear you call purebloods pansies!"

"Afraid of the truth, are they?"

Remus put his arm around her and leaned down conspiratorially. "Shh!" he shushed, placing his finger over her mouth. "We mustn't burst their bubble," he whispered.

Hermione smiled as Remus dropped his finger. "Right," she whispered, miming zipping her lips up and throwing away the key.

They both burst out laughing at their combined silliness. "Let's head back to Gryffindor Tower," Remus said while glancing down at his watch. "It's well past curfew."

Hermione nodded, wishing they had the Marauder's Map or invisibility cloak. Instead the pair did a fair impression of a muggle spy movie as they crept along the walls and glanced around corners covertly. They made it to their common room without incident. No Mr. Filch or Mrs. Norris to be found.

"Couldn't we have just said that you were patrolling or something if we got caught? You're a prefect, after all," Hermione remarked.

Remus facepalmed. "Er, yeah. We could have."

Hermione just chuckled. "It's okay, Mr. Bond. I had fun sneaking through the halls with you."

Remus grinned. "Me too, little Mione," he responded fondly.

Hermione smiled tiredly. "G'night, Remus," she said through a yawn.

"Night," he responded as they walked to their respective staircases.

Hermione changed into her night clothes in slipped into her four-poster. She fell instantly into a contented, peaceful sleep. When she awoke in the morning, she still had a smile on her face.

She merrily popped out of bed and began changing into her work out clothes. When she made her way to the common room, she saw Remus waiting for her in his own gym clothes. She quirked an eyebrow at him.

"I wanted to work up a sweat with you," he said.

Hermione's jaw dropped, and upon seeing her reaction, Remus seemed to reevaluate his wording. As he realized the double entendre, his face paled before blushing furiously. "No! That's not how…I just…You know, yesterday we were saying that Purebloods don't like to sweat?" He closed his eyes and groaned. "I just wanted to join you for your workout," he finished, embarrassed.

Hermione burst out laughing. "Oh, Remus. You're too funny!" she exclaimed as she approached him. She grabbed his arm as she passed and began to drag him toward the portrait hole. "Come on, let's go get sweaty," she replied with a snicker. He grinned in response and followed her to the Room of Requirement.

While Hermione had only been working out for two weeks prior to the combined session with Remus, it was clear she was in much better shape than him. She'd started them off with a jog, and he began panting heavily after the first two laps. She began to run backwards in front of him. "Come on Mooney! Don't tell me you're tired already?"

"Shut…it…wench," he said between deep gasps of breath.

Hermione snickered and jogged ahead. She'd found that she truly enjoyed running. It gave her time to relax her mind while she focused on the exertion of her body. Dumbledore had given her some Occlumency exercises in an attempt to learn the discipline. One had to condition their mind, organize it in such a way that they could hide their precious memories. Running helped her calm her mind enough to work through the exercises.

She'd also gotten better at meditation during the Horcrux Hunt. She had brought materials on the animagus transformation. A large part of the process was mediation. Becoming one with your inner animal. One had to let go of all their human civilities and settle into their base instincts. Hermione had accomplished this during her time in the woods. As had Harry. They'd both thrown themselves into it after Ronald left.

She was unsurprised to discover her potential to become a wolf. She knew her core self had been vastly altered due to her feelings for Remus. She had longed to be his pack. His mate. She wanted him to be her alpha. Her protector. Her inner wolf didn't pertain to Remus alone. She was also fiercely loyal and protective of her family, or pack. She knew, however, that her love for Remus was the driving factor of her inner animal.

She'd also performed the necessary transfigurations on her entire body in order to prepare it for the transformation. This step, along with the necessary potion, is often the bit that goes wrong. If a wizard doesn't fully prepare each part of his or her person, the body will be unable to accept the change fully, if at all. The consequences can range from minor disfigurement all the way to death. None of it is pleasant.

The potion can also easily turn into poison if brewed incorrectly. The recipe for the brew was highly restricted, and any person attempting to legally master the transformation was required to go through proper evaluations with the Ministry before they were given the recipe. She'd been able to ascertain most of the steps needed for the concoction, but was unable to brew the potion while on the run. She had been considering asking Dumbledore to review her recipe in order to confirm its accuracy. Her mission in the 70s was far too important to take idle risks.

She broke from her musings when she reached the end of her five kilometer jog. She stretched her muscles as she waited for Remus to finish up. He did so a few moments later, and followed her example, stretching his aching muscles.

"I don't think I can do any more today," he panted.

Hermione smiled. "Alright. I'm just going to run through the obstacles. If you're feeling better by the time I'm finished we can practice dueling. If not, I'll use the dummies."

The obstacle course was different every time she used the room. It was set up to improve her strength, agility and speed. All of those attributes were invaluable in a real fight, because no matter what curse was thrown your way, it would have no affect if you didn't allow it to hit you. Shields were important, yes, but they could fail, and were unable to protect from unforgivables. The only tried and true method of protection was to dodge, and in order to dodge, one needed to be light on their feet and have lightening quick reflexes. The obstacle course helped train the body to react quickly and use the environment to one's advantage.

After she'd run through the course a few times, Hermione returned to Remus. "Just watching you made me tired," he stated cheekily.

"Wuss," she responded snarkily. "So does that mean you're not up for a friendly duel, Mr. Lupin?"

"Well, you've seen me duel. I think it's only fair that I get to see you before I take you on," he responded.

"It's okay Remus. I understand that you're too weak to face little old me after jogging a mere five kilometers. Don't worry, I don't think anything less of you," she responded with a smirk.

"It's not going to work, you little demon. You may be a foot shorter and six or seven stones lighter than me, but I know you can pack a punch," he replied with a chuckle.

Hermione just smiled cheekily as she mentally asked the room to provide her with three dummies. She turned toward her opponents and crouched down, waiting for the first attack. It soon came, and Hermione began her elegant dance of dodging and throwing spells in short order.

The dummies were set up to send stinging hexes, so Hermione would know when she was hit. They were also programmed to increase their skill level as the duel progressed. Every time she destroyed one, another would take its place until she was defeated.

It was a good fifteen minutes and thirteen dummies later that Hermione felt the sharp pain in her arm, signaling her defeat. She treated every hex as the Killing Curse, knowing the kind of enemies she faced. The hex may have just barely grazed her elbow, but had it been that sickly green light, she'd be dead.

Conjuring a towel, she turned to where Remus leant against the wall and began dabbing the sweat from her face and body. He was watching her with wide eyes. "What?" she asked as she made her way over to him and slid down the wall.

"Hermione," he began slowly. "You would probably be able to school Carfy in a duel," he responded in shock.

"Oh don't be so melodramatic, Remus. They're just dummies," she replied with a roll of her eyes.

"You don't understand, Hermione. We've only been taught formal dueling. That's standing directly across from one opponent while using shields to block unfriendly spells while firing off your own offensive spells. Dodging hasn't been taught in the way you use it. It was like a dance. Amazing to watch," he explained in awe.

Hermione blushed, glad that the physical exertion had already left her red faced. "There's nothing formal about facing off with a Death Eater," she said quietly. "You said before that Purebloods value tradition, but it's really only when it suits them. I can tell you right now, when it comes to real life dueling, all their rules and traditions fall to the wayside. They don't care about honor or valor. They care about winning and their own sadistic pleasure. They're sick, hypocritical bastards. You can't let any advantage go to waste when you face them, because you will quite literally be fighting for your life," she finished solemnly.

Remus nodded his head sadly but determinately. "Will you teach me?" he asked.

Hermione nodded and sent him a faint smile. "Of course, Remus. By next week you'll find the jog increases your energy as opposed to depleting it. Then we can start training in earnest."

Remus nodded. "I wish we could include James, Sirius and Peter in the training."

Hermione shifted uncomfortably. It would be impossible to explain her abilities to the others without revealing her 'true' past, and she couldn't bear the thought of training that bleeding traitor. Nor did she think it would be particularly smart to tell Peter she'd been targeted by Death Eaters. If he had already turned tail, he may bring her situation to Voldemort. He'd probably know the story was a complete fabrication. Either way, it would draw the unwanted attention she so wanted to avoid. But she felt guilty denying Sirius. It had been he and Remus who'd taught her much of what she knew, after all.

"I don't know, Remus…" she began.

"It's okay, Hermione. I know you're not ready for anyone else to know your past," he responded with understanding. "I did want to talk to you about the potion, though. They know how it is for me after the full moon. If things go as seamlessly as you say, they'll notice the change. I don't know what to tell them without revealing your secrets."

Hermione felt ridiculously happy that Remus was keeping secrets from her. Granted, she already knew the Marauders were animagi, but he didn't know that. She couldn't help but feel relieved. After all, if he'd trusted her with that secret while she was blatantly lying to him about Harry being a lycanthrope; her guilt may very well consume her.

She thought about it for a few moments before deciding vagueness was the way to go. "You can tell them I had a friend who suffered from the disease and that we had come up with a potion to ease the transformation. I'd prefer it if you kept Harry's name out of it, and just left it at that," she responded thoughtfully.

"They'll want to know how you found out about me, though. I don't just go around shouting about it to just anyone, you know?"

"Hmmm…" she pondered over the issue for a few moments before an answer popped into her head. Dumbledore. He seemed to be the answer to all her problems these days. "Dumbledore. When I arrived I told him about my past, including my friend. I told him about the potion, and he asked me to brew it for a student who suffered from the disease," she mused aloud. "Were the others asleep when you got back to your room last night?"

At his nod, she continued. "Good. You can say that he brought you to his office last night to explain the potion. He also explained that it was I who brewed it, and that, having been around a lycanthrope for many years, I'd be able to recognize the signs in you quite easily. You allowed him to bring me into the meeting and we began brewing immediately after leaving his office," she finished, looking at him with a hopeful expression.

With a raised eyebrow, he regarded her for a few moments. "You're quite good at coming up with stories, Hermione," he said in an even tone. "I don't like to lie to my friends."

Hermione looked down to her lap. "I know. I don't like it either, but it's mostly the truth. Bringing Dumbledore into the equation just allows you to keep my secrets while still taking advantage of the potion."

When Remus didn't respond, she continued on. "I'll tell them eventually," she responded quietly. "After we get out of Hogwarts, I'll tell them. I just want to have a normal school experience for once in my life, Remus. But…If you are really uncomfortable…You can tell them. I'd rather them know than have you suffer through the full moon without the potion."

"You'd do that for me?" he asked, touched.

"Of course," she responded without hesitation.

Remus took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. "We can tell them it was Dumbledore. You're right; it's not much of a lie."

Hermione gave him a grateful smile as the pair stood and exited the room. They walked back to Gryffindor Tower in companionable silence until Hermione spoke. "You could tell them Dumbledore showed us the Room of Requirement so we could use it for brewing. I'd say the discovery of the room is a pretty good consolation prize for altering the truth a bit," she suggested with a smile.

Remus returned her smile. "Good idea. They'd forgive me just about anything for giving them access to that room."

The entered the portrait hole a few minutes later, and made their way to their separate staircases. "Same time tomorrow?" Remus asked as Hermione placed her foot on the first step.

"Yep," she replied with a smile, dashing up the stairs and to a nice warm shower.

The rest of the week passed by quickly. They'd had their first Potions lesson with the Slytherins on Friday morning. They only had the class once a week, but it lasted for an agonizingly long three hours. Remus had immediately claimed her as his partner for the term, fairly shoving Lily out of the way. The redhead looked at Remus aghast, causing Hermione to chuckle. When she caught eyes with her friend, Hermione flashed her eyes over to James, urging her to ask him.

She did, and Sirius was seriously affronted at being abandoned by his best mate. Being left with Peter was apparently not on his top ten list. He turned and glared at Remus for having instigated this change. Remus shook his head and pointed to Hermione, who slapped his hand away. "Traitor," she hissed out of the side of her mouth as she shook her own head and pointed at Remus.

They spent the class making Draught of Living Death. She tried to help Remus with his portion, but the boy was seriously hopeless. "How on earth did you get into NEWT level potions," she asked.

"Lily's been my partner," he responded. "She's a stellar potion's mistress."

"Too bad none of her skills rubbed off," she teased.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, chuckles."

Hermione did, but by the end of the lesson she'd managed to improve his techniques considerably. Remus seemed most pleased, but Hermione was less so. She was loath to admit that Snape had been a far better teacher than Slughorn. But he was. Because of the foundation she'd gained from the acrimonious bastard, she'd been able to correct some of the more serious errors in Remus' approach to potion making.

Remus had been astonished at her teaching ability and thanked her profusely for all her help. She graciously accepted his praise while internally cursing the day Severus Snape was born.

The group also had a double lesson in DADA that Friday. It was a long, Slytherin-filled day indeed. Luckily, however, the lesson was much less contentious than their first. They had mostly gone over the syllabus and discussed what would be expected of them during their theoretical and practical NEWTs. Hermione had already mastered most of the requirements, the main being silent casting. Creating a partial Patronus was also a requirement. No one was expected to be able to create a fully corporeal one, but extra credit would be given if one were able.

The weekend was finally upon them, and Hermione spent much of her time either in the library or hanging out with her new friends. Remus had insisted she be present when he revealed the RoR to his friends. It had been quite humorous to watch. Remus had made mysterious allusions and toyed with his friends quite thoroughly. They were all more than happy when the discovered the reason for his dramatics.

James and Sirius had immediately turned the room into a Quidditch Pitch, complete with the latest racing brooms and supplies. Hermione, having always been afraid of heights, refused to participate. However, being the Room of Requirement, the boys just asked the room to make a cushioned floor that would softly break a fall no matter the height. She had no excuses.

They'd spent some time instructing her on technique and allowed her to slowly grow acclimated to the feeling of being in the air before urging her to go faster and take more risks. They spent the majority of the day in the room, calling on Daisy for lunch. By the time dinner rolled around, Hermione felt much more confident on a broom.

"You did awesome, Mione!" James praised.

"Thanks Jamie," she responded with a smile. "And thank you all for being so patient with me. I've never really had a proper flying lesson before," she finished, thinking of her farce of a flying lesson first year.

"No problem, Mione," Sirius said throwing his arm around her. She noticed Remus stiffen and wanted to snort. _Just like old times,_ she thought. "It's the least we could do for telling us about this room. How did you find it, anyway? We've been looking for it for years."

Hermione smiled and looked to Remus, silently asking whether he wanted her to be the one to explain. Essentially offering to be the one to tell the lie. He nodded his head gratefully, and she returned her attention to the other boys.

"When I arrived at Hogwarts I told Dumbledore a bit about my past. He was very interested in one particular aspect." She hesitated a moment before continuing. "My best friend growing up suffered from lycanthropy," she said, pausing to take in the wide eyes of James, Sirius and Peter. "He'd been infected when he was eight, and we, along with his parents, had been researching the condition ever since. We created a potion that drastically reduces the trauma of the change," she explained.

"Wednesday afternoon Dumbledore called me to his office. Remus was there when I arrived. Dumbledore had told him I'd likely discover his secret soon. If not before the full moon, then undoubtedly after it. I've spent so much time around a lycanthrope, and the symptoms are quite obvious if you're familiar with the process. Anyway, after telling Remus about the potion, he agreed to allow me in on the secret before the next full moon so I could brew him the potion. It was Dumbledore that showed us the room. We used it to brew the potion," she finished.

"What does it do?" James asked excitedly.

"Well, from what we could tell, it makes the change similar to that of an animagus. My friend had never had an animagus with which to compare experiences, but from our research, it would be similar. Regardless, the change is painless and the wolf isn't able to take over the mind. Remus will still be Remus, if a bit…wolfy," she explained.

It took James and Sirius all of two seconds to smile widely and turn Hermione into a Marauder sandwich. "That's excellent, Hermione!" James exclaimed.

"Yes! Mooney won't have to suffer any more!" Sirius added.

Hermione giggled as Remus quickly extracted her from between his two friends. "Alright," he said, sounding irritated. "No need to accost her."

Sirius and James smiled knowingly, but kept their comments to themselves. "I'm really happy for you, mate," said Peter.

"Thanks Pete," Remus said, smiling at his friend.

At that moment Sirius' stomach loudly protested its lack of feeding. "I'm starved! Let's go get some grub," he said, walking to the exit.

Remus smiled and shook his head at his friend. He hung back with Hermione so they could have a private word on the walk to The Great Hall. "Thanks for doing that, Hermione," he stated sincerely. "I really didn't want to have to tell them a lie. I mean, I know I'm going along with it, but thanks for not making me say the words."

Hermione smiled sympathetically. "You're welcome Remus."

They then caught up with the others and joined in on their silly banter.

oOoOoOo

Soon enough, the day arrived when Remus would begin to take the potion. Hermione had bottled it after it finished maturing, and she, along with the other Marauders, was gathered in the seventh year boy's dorm. Conjuring a goblet, Hermione poured a dose and passed it to Remus.

"You'll just want to swallow it all in one gulp," she said.

Remus nodded and closed his eyes. He held up the goblet and stated, "To your good health," before downing the potion in one swallow. His face immediately contorted in disgust. Hermione shoved a glass of pumpkin juice in his hands to wash out the flavor, and his face calmed after he'd consumed it.

"Thanks," he breathed.

"You're welcome," she replied sympathetically.

"Well, that was anti-climactic," Sirius snorted.

"What did you expect, Mr. Black?" asked Hermione.

"Dunno. Something other than a stink face, though," he answered with a smirk.

Hermione rolled her eyes and left the potion and goblet on Remus' trunk. "You saw the dosage amount?" she asked.

"Yes," he assured. "What do you think would happen if we added sugar?" he asked.

Hermione had to force herself not to snicker. The older Remus always lamented over the fact that he couldn't add sugar. "It would make the potion ineffective, unfortunately," she responded.

"Aw well, it was worth a shot," he said with a grin.

Hermione nodded with a smile. "My friend had the same wish."

Remus smiled sadly in response and the group returned to the common room to work on their homework.

oOoOoOo

The night of the first full moon arrived quickly. Hermione gave Remus a tight hug and wished him good luck. He left for the shrieking shack, and the other Marauders claimed they wanted to spend some time flying in the Room of Requirement. Hermione just nodded and let them keep their secrets. Merlin knew she had enough of her own.

She decided to go visit the Headmaster that night. She wanted to know how his plans for the Horcruxes were progressing, as well as to ask him about the animagus potion.

When she reached the stone gargoyle, she said, "_Sugar Quills_." Dumbledore had asked for her favorite candy, and then used it to set her own personal password. The gargoyle moved aside revealing the staircase. Hermione made her way up to the office and knocked softly.

"Enter."

"Good evening, Professor. Do you have time for a little chat?" she asked.

"Of course, Miss Granger. Please come in," he responded kindly.

Hermione approached the desk and made herself comfortable in the chair opposite his desk. "Thank you," she said.

"Anytime, Miss Granger. Lemon drop?" he asked. At her negative response he asked, "What brings you here this evening?"

"A couple of things, actually. Firstly, I was wondering how your plans were progressing in regards to the Horcruxes."

The sparkle in Dumbledore's eyes dulled a bit at the dark topic. "Oh yes. Well, I've been thinking it would be best to go after the ring and locket first. I've discovered the location of the Gaunt shack, and am narrowing down the location of the cave."

"That makes sense. We'll have to somehow gain access to Malfoy Manor and the Lestrange vault to destroy the others. That has the potential to draw attention to our mission," she agreed. "When do you want to go after the ring?" she asked.

"Well, I've been reviewing your memories of my blackened hand, trying to discern the curse placed upon it. I don't want either of us to suffer such a fate again," he responded.

"We won't touch it, sir. We'll pick it up using the tip of the sword and then destroy it without touching it," she reasoned.

"Either way I'd like to know what we're dealing with. I don't know why I would have put the accursed object on my finger in the first place. There must have been a reason, and I want to be fully prepared. Either way, I think we should go after both the ring and the locket over the Christmas hols," said Dumbledore.

"You want to wait that long?" she questioned.

"I think it's for the best. If we both disappear at the same time, students might take notice. We need to keep our association as private as possible," he explained.

"Yes, I see your point. I suppose we'll just have to wait," she responded regretfully.

"Don't fret, Miss Granger. Have faith in our success," he encouraged, twinkles returning.

Hermione smiled in response with an affirmative nod.

"Now, what else did you want to discuss?" he asked.

"Well, Harry and I had been studying the animagus transformation. I have already completed the necessary mediations and transfigurations, and wanted to brew the potion. What do you think?" she asked nervously.

"Why do you want to go through with the transformation?" he asked.

"Well, eventually I'd like to be able to join Remus during the full moon, but I'd never risk Peter seeing my form while Voldemort is still prowling about on this pane of existence," she began.

"So why not wait until he's gone, then?" enquired Dumbledore.

"I thought about that. But it's a wolf, and in the end, I think it could help on our mission. Mainly with my idea for Malfoy," she responded.

"Oh? What did you have in mind for him? I admit I'm having some trouble deciding on how to infiltrate Malfoy Manor."

Hermione grinned mischievously as she detailed her plan for the Diary. When she finished, Dumbledore's eyes twinkled madly. "My my my, Miss Granger. Are you sure you aren't a closet Slytherin?" he asked teasingly.

"More like a closet Marauder, sir," she responded with a smile.

"Indeed," he chuckled. "Why don't we plan this raid for the Easter hols? I'll look into ways to quietly access the Lestrange vault that same weekend. Now, let me see the formula you've written for the animgus potion," he requested.

She passed him the parchment and watched as he read through her notes and recipe. He crossed out a few ingredients and steps while adding a few more. After about ten minutes he handed the parchment back. "That is very good work, Miss Granger. I'm quite impressed. I just tweaked a few things here and there, but I daresay the potion would have worked without my changes. It just might not have been as painless. However, since I did not provide you with the potion, merely reviewing a potion you created on your own, I have no obligation to inform the Ministry of your plans. I would, however, like to be there when you take the potion. We'll meet in the Room of Requirement during the next full moon," he finished. While the animagus transformation wasn't tied to the full moon, the same lunar aspects that forced the lycanthropy transformation helped draw out the inner animal for a person's first animagus transformation.

Hermione smiled excitedly. "Thank you, Professor!"

Dumbledore smiled fondly at her before returning the conversation to more somber topics. "After the Cup and Diary are destroyed, we can turn our attention to our most challenging task."

"Destroying the small bit of soul remaining in Tom Riddle's body," Hermione stated.

"Yes, Miss Granger. That part will be most difficult. We'll focus on that task over the summer, but do start mulling over the issue in that brilliant mind of yours," he requested with a smile.

"Yes, sir," she grinned. "Have a good night, Professor."

"Good night, dear."

Hermione began to slowly make her way back up to Gryffindor Tower. Despite the tasks ahead, she couldn't help but be optimistic. For once in her life, she truly saw the light at the end of the dark tunnel she'd been trapped in for so long. Not only that, but she had become so close with Lily, Sirius, and James.

Not to mention Remus. He'd displayed those same characteristics he'd always shown around her the days leading up to the full moon. He was protective and possessive, and she loved every second. They'd been getting along so well; she thought it was only a matter of time before he gave into his feelings and made a move. If he didn't, she would. She would not allow his disease to hamper their happiness.

As she walked through the halls, Hermione trailed her hand across the castle's walls sending her happiness and gratitude into the stones, thanking Hogwarts for giving her this opportunity. She could feel a faint presence surrounding her in response. She wasn't sure how, but she could _feel_ Hogwarts smiling at her fondly.

When Hermione snuggled into her covers that night, she fell asleep to visions of Messers Mooney, Padfoot and Prongs frolicking through the forest having the time of their lives. The smile still adorned her face when she awoke.

She tiredly dressed for her morning workout and made her way down to the common room, expecting all the boys to be asleep in their dorms at that point. She was quite surprised when she was pulled into an embrace before she'd reached the landing and twirled around by a gleeful Remus.

Hermione giggled at his playfulness. After a few moments Remus placed her feet back on the floor, but he didn't let her go. He gently cupped her face in his hands as he stared down at her adoringly. "Hermione. You are the most amazing witch I've ever met," he whispered sincerely.

She smiled happily. "It went well, then," she stated more than asked.

"It was sooo different," he replied. "No pain. No bloodlust. No monster. I can _never_ thank you enough."

"Seeing you so happy is thanks enough, Remus. I require no other form of payment," she said sincerely.

"Thank you, little Mione," he responded before letting out a massive yawn.

Hermione chuckled. "Go get some sleep, Mooney, you deserve it."

His face broke into a lopsided grin. "Yes, ma'am," he responded cheekily, giving her a salute before bounding up the boys stairs.

Hermione chuckled as she made her way out of the common room. Thinking of Remus' reaction to his first potion affected full moon had Hermione going through her morning exercises with more enthusiasm than she'd ever displayed before.

**A/N:**

**Another one down, friends! I need to start out with thanking my kick-arse reviewers. You guys blow me away every chapter! I can't think you enough!**

**Lana MacK, theundyinglands, SwishlikeaFish, RabxBlack, Crazyarmywife, Alarice, fallfromreality, Beautiful-Soul-8909, Smithback, Moon Wolfsbane, Dissapointed, Miss. Silver Star, BigTimeGleekBTR, Kayleigh-FanfictionAddict-21, forestreject, The Erumpent Horn, Lk-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, Tovah Ignacia, Lex Waltz, Jennii Toxiic, SeekerGirl, Lordhightopfan, Lovewillfindaway88, and X-Random-X!**

**I lurve you guys! And theundyinglands, I tried to message you, but I'm not sure if it worked since you have issues with your PMs. I'm not sure how else to message you. :/ I would totally love for you to do a banner for the story, though, if that's what you were offering. :)**

**Ahhh, now onto the chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. I really really wanted them to get together in the end. Like really wanted it. I even wrote it that way first. In the end, I couldn't do it! It's only been a few weeks. Mooney needs more time, I'm afraid. Years of insecurity and self-loathing don't disappear overnight. However, if you want to read the first ending I wrote, leave the request in a review and I'll send it to you in PM, just for fun. :)**

**Also, who wants a Remus POV for the next chapter? Or should we just move forward. I'll leave this up to you, my lovelies.**

**I also originally wrote out Hermione's idea for the retrieval of the Diary, but I took it out in the end. That conversation gave you a timeline for the rest of the story, but I don't want to give everything away. I was rather amused by the conversation that took place, though, so I'll probably add it in as a flash back as they execute their plan.**

**Hmmm…What else? What else? I think that's it, actually. Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think!**


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: There is a lot in this chapter directly from The Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows, so I'd like to reiterate that I do not own Harry Potter or anything in the Potterverse.

Chapter 6:

The next few weeks flew by quickly, and the second full moon was swiftly approaching. Hermione had managed to make the animagus potion in secret, as well as Remus' Wolfsbane. At first she was afraid she wouldn't be able to get away from her new friends, but she quickly realized that the Marauders need time on their own in order to manage their mischief. It turned out to be quite easy to slip away.

It was exactly five days before the full moon, and the group was in DADA. Hermione was excited, because they were learning the Patronus charm. Carfy explained the theory of the charm and the requirements for casting. "Now, is there anyone in this class who can already produce a partial shield?"

Hermione had done a fairly good job of appearing just above average in her schooling. She would pretend to struggle with some things, and allow herself to shine with others. She decided to show her skills with this particular charm. It wouldn't reveal her as a threat, seeing as how everyone but Remus thought she was pants at dueling, but it would show her to be a powerful witch. She didn't want to cripple herself with a weak reputation. She had to live in the era, after all (not that she had to work with the proceeds from the basilisk sale, but she needed to work for her own happiness).

With that in mind Hermione raised her hand. "Really, Miss Granger?" Carfy asked skeptically.

Hermione nodded. "Yes sir. My mum taught it to me a couple years ago, kind of as a treat. It's a rather fun charm, but it also can take time to perfect. I would practice whenever I had nothing better to do. Eventually I could produce a fully corporeal Patronus," she explained, lying through her teeth. It really was becoming alarmingly easy to come up with explanations on the fly.

Carfy's eyebrows shot to his hairline in shock. "Really? Fully corporeal? Well then, would you mind showing the class, Miss Granger?

"Of course," she replied.

Hermione thought of the moment Remus swept her into his arms after his first transformation with the potion. She let the joy at seeing him so happy fill her up from head to toe as she brandished her wand. "_Expecto Patronum_!" she cried.

Mooney immediately came bounding out of her wand in all his silver glory. He looked like a normal wolf, for the most part. The only difference being the much larger size and smaller snout. If he were to be faced by a Dementor, his sharper teeth would also be noticeable. She heard multiple gasps, but saw the Marauders staring at her Patronus in a trance as it bounded about the room. She knew they'd recognize it for what it was. She'd only seen Remus transform the one time, but she would never forget any detail. It was burned into her brain, and her Patronus took on his exact form.

Carfy seemed quite speechless as the beast happily approached Hermione whilst wagging his tail playfully. Hermione smiled widely at her creation. He disappeared into a silvery mist just as she reached her hand out to stroke him. When she made her way back to her seat she made eye contact with Remus. He raised his eyebrow in such a way that told her he'd have questions later. She nodded her ascent and resumed her spot next to Lily.

"That was amazing, Hermione," she whispered.

"Thanks, Lily," Hermione responded with a smile.

She returned the smiled hesitantly before continuing. "You are aware that your Patronus is a werewolf, yes?" she asked.

"Yes," said Hermione quietly. "I had a friend back home who suffered from Lycanthropy. I can't think of anyone who'd protect me more fiercely."

Lily looked surprised, but didn't pry further. At that moment, Carfy seemed to return to the present. "Well done, Miss Granger. Twenty points for Gryffindor," he said shakily before turning his attention back to the rest of the class. "Now, we don't expect the seventh years to be able to produce a fully corporeal Patronus, but you will be required to produce a shield. Is anyone else already able?" he asked.

Two people raised their hand. Hermione was shocked to see the body attached to one of the arms was none other than Severus Snape. She didn't think the man had anything but hate and bitterness in his soul, let alone enough happiness to produce anything resembling a Patronus. She was unsurprised at Lily's hand.

"May I see your shield, Mr. Snape?" aksed Carfy.

With a curt nod, Severus closed his eyes in concentration while brandishing his wand. "_Expecto Patronum_!" he cried.

A significant amount of silver mist burst from his wand, creating a rather impressive shield. Hermione could see that the shield was on the cusp of taking form. She wouldn't be surprised if it took a form by the end of the class.

"Excellent, Mr. Snape!" Carfy said encouragingly. "You are very close. Five points to Slytherin. You'll get another fifteen when you manage a corporeal form. Miss Evans, can we see your attempt?"

Lily smiled nervously in acquiescence and demonstrated her shield, which, like Snape, was on the cusp of taking a form. Carfy praised Lily's attempt and distributed points before returning his attention to the class at large. "Now, as you all should know, a Dementor feeds off human happiness. Its mere presence will drain you of every bit of contentment and peace within your soul. This makes it increasingly difficult to produce a Patronus in the presence of the creatures, for to create a Patronus, one must allow a happy memory to fill them up. When released, the Patronus overloads the Dementor, causing it to flee." Everyone in the class, sans Hermione, was taking strenuous notes. "Now, as you heard from your peers, the incantation is _Expecto Patronum_. I want you all to stand, banish your desks, and begin practicing."

Everyone stood and cleared the room of the desks. "Miss Granger, since you are already proficient with the charm, I'll ask you to walk around the room and assist the others."

"Yes, Professor Carfy," she responded politely.

She stayed around the Gryffindors, rightfully assuming the Slytherins would rather receive The Kiss than accept assistance from a half-blooded lion, let alone someone of her true heritage.

Her friends and Peter immediately began trying the spell with little success. "Wait!" Hermione cried. "You need to focus more. Take some time to look within yourself and find a happy memory strong enough to shield you from any sadness. The memory is key here," she explained. "Without a strong enough memory, you will never succeed."

"What is your memory, Hermione?" asked Marlene.

Hermione flushed. "That's a rather personal question," she responded with a squeak.

Sirius laughed. "Well, well, well, Mione. Don't tell me you're hiding something from us," he teased.

Hermione's face reddened further. _You have no idea, Sirius. _"Don't worry Sirius. It has nothing to do with you," Hermione teased back, trying to act unbothered.

"Ouch. That hurt, love," he said while holding his hand to his heart in mock pain.

Hermione smirked. "The truth will do that sometimes."

Everyone snickered at Sirius' pout before he broke down and joined the merriment. "Alright, everyone. Take a moment to come up with a memory. Breathe it in and allow it to fill your entire body with peace and happiness. Then channel all those happy feelings into the incantation."

Everyone took a few moments to concentrate on a happy memory. Hermione watched their faces relax. Each person then tried the charm when they felt ready, and the resulting silvery mists were very encouraging to all.

"Very good, everyone. You all produced enough of a shield to distract a Dementor long enough to apparate to safety. Now, I want you to try and think of another happy memory, stronger than the last. I'll give you thirty seconds to think of one and allow it to fill you up. Then I am going to cast my Patronus a few times and send them running around the room. The positive energy radiating off my wolves will act as a sort of power boost."

Everyone nodded excitedly and closed their eyes in concentration. Hermione waited about half a minute before brandishing her wand and casting multiple Patronuses. Several Mooneys bounded from her wand and began running around the room, filling the students with peace and contentment. She watched her friends and Peter try the incantation again with much more success. Everyone except Lily was able to produce a rather impressive shield. None of them spent too much time admiring their accomplishment, though, because they were mesmerized by the beautiful silver doe that had erupted from Lily's wand.

Hermione smiled widely as she watched the beautiful animal prance about the room. "It's a White-Tailed doe!" Lily said excitedly. "We saw them when we visited America! Oh, she's beautiful!"

Hermione nodded her agreement while her mind whirred. It had been a doe Patronus that led Harry to the Sword of Gryffindor. Harry said it was a Red Doe, though. _Still, what an amazing coincidence_.

The thought had barely finished within her mind when she noticed Severus watch Lily's happiness with a small smile of adoration. The doe began to flit toward him, and Hermione watched him close his eyes and take a deep breath. Just as the concentration of positive energy passed his person, Severus raised his wand and called the incantation.

Hermione felt all the air leave her lungs in a forceful _whoosh_ as a brilliant Red Doe erupted from Snape's wand. It was…exactly like Harry described it. She couldn't think. Couldn't breathe.

_Snape's Patronus is a doe!_

The words were running through her head over and over. What did it mean? Snape led them to the sword? Why would he help them? He'd killed Dumbledore, for Merlin's sake!

Feeling her knees going weak, Hermione leaned back into the wall for support. The moment her hands touched the stone wall she felt Hogwarts' magic pulse through her. She had to get out of the classroom.

She ignored the worried questions from her friends and the indignant shouts from Professor Carfy as she fled the room. She ran unseeingly through the castle until she felt a safe distance had been created between her and the DADA classroom. She leaned against the corridor to catch her breath when she felt the castle reach out to her again. Turning around, Hermione placed her palm on the stone wall and, again, allowed the castle to guide her.

As she began making her way past the Potions classroom and Slytherin dorms, Hermione realized the castle was sending her back to the cell which brought her to 1977. When she arrived in the dank room deep in the bowels of the millennium old castle, Hermione was surprised to find a Pensieve. It was sitting directly in the spot her bum landed when she fell through time. She could tell by the lack of dust around the bottom of the basin.

She approached the relic to see a swirl of memories floating in a sea of silver mist. She watched the memory strands' lazy movements for a moment before looking around the area, ensuring she was alone. She felt a bit weary diving into the Pensieve while she was so deep in the dungeons all alone. Her body would be left helplessly exposed while her consciousness was lost in someone's memories.

She chuckled nervously as she felt the castle communicate her displeasure. She could practically hear Hogwarts whine, _Like I would lead you here and then allow harm to befall you, _while letting out a petulant huff and a foot stomp or two. Holding her hands up in surrender, Hermione whispered, "Alright, alright. I'm sorry I questioned you, oh wise one."

Hermione felt the castle's smug acceptance, and she snickered as an image of the school puffing out its turrets importantly flittered through her mind. After taking a steadying breath, Hermione approached the bowl of memories and dipped her face in the swirling ethereal substance.

Hermione was confused when she first landed in the memory. There were two girls on a nearly deserted playground. One had blond hair and the other a vibrant red. When the little redhead turned toward Hermione she gasped. She'd recognize those eyes anywhere. They belonged to the boy who'd been her best friend since she was eleven as well as the woman who was quickly settling into her own place in Hermione's heart. It was Lily Evans, and she assumed the other girl was Harry's Aunt Petunia. She was wondering how the castle was able to produce a Pensieve strand of Lily's memories when she noticed another boy.

She felt her heart soar and sing with pure unadulterated joy. She quickly approached him and threw her arms around him, only to fall straight through. She was able to catch herself before falling face first into the warm ground, but just barely. "Harry?" she asked with a shaky voice.

He didn't respond. He had been watching his mother and aunt, and she heard a whispered, "Mum?" before his attention moved off to the side of the playground. She followed his line of sight and her eyes landed on a skinny boy who was watching the girls behind a clump of bushes. His black hair was overlong and his clothes were completely mismatched.

She followed Harry as he moved closer to the boy, who looked no more than nine or ten years old. He was sallow, small and stringy. His face looked greedy as he watched Lily swinging high. Hermione realized in that moment where the memories came from. They weren't Lily's. They were Snape's. These were the memories Harry viewed just before he martyred himself.

Both her and Harry's attention was drawn back to the girls as Petunia shrieked, "Lily, don't do it!" Lily had already let go while the swing was high in the air. She, Harry and Snape watched as she literally flew into the air, launching herself skyward with a great shout of laughter. Hermione readied herself to wince as Lily crumpled on the playground asphalt, but instead she soared like a trapeze artist through the air, staying up far too long, and landing far too lightly.

The two girls argued about how Lily wasn't allowed to jump of the swings like that before the younger girl picked up a fallen flower and held it out for her big sister to see. The flower sat in her palm, opening and closing its petals, like some bizarre, many-lipped oyster.

Petunia did some more screeching before asking Lily how she did it. At that point, Snape made his presence known. "It's obvious, isn't it?" Petunia seemed startled by his sudden appearance and let out another screech. _Merlin, _Hermione thought. _How did Harry deal with all the screeching growing up?_

Lily seemed to be startled as well, but she held her ground. "What's obvious?" she asked.

He glanced nervously at Petunia who'd jumped back quite a distance in her screeching. He lowered his voice and said, "I know what you are."

"What do you mean?"

"You're…you're a witch," whispered Snape.

Despite the somber realization that these memories had been the catalyst to Harry's death, Hermione laughed out loud at the look of affronted indignation covering Lily's soft features. "That's not a very nice thing to say to somebody!" she exclaimed before turning her nose in the air and storming off.

"No!" said Snape. He flapped after the girls, looking ludicrously bat-like in his ridiculously large coat. _Much like his older self, _Hermione thought bitterly.

"You are," Snape said to Lily. "You are a witch. I've been watching you for a while. But there's nothing wrong with that. My mum's one; and I'm a wizard."

Snape and Petunia shared a snarky exchange before Petunia dragged a glaring Lily away, screaming shrilly at Snape the entire way. Hermione and Harry watched the bitter disappointment seep into Snape's features, and both understood that Snape had been planning this moment for a long while, and it had gone all wrong.

The scene then dissolved and re-formed around the pair. They were in a thicket of trees and watched as Lily and Snape sat facing each other, cross-legged on the ground. Snape was telling Lily about the Ministry of Magic, underage restrictions and Hogwarts letters. Hermione watched, fascinated, as Snape looked at Lily and lied straight to her face.

"Does it make a difference, being a Muggle-born?" she'd asked.

He hesitated for a moment before letting the lie fall through his lips. "No. It doesn't make any difference."

It was true in a sense, Hermione thought. As far as magical talent and ability are concerned, it doesn't matter if you're a Muggle-born, Pure-blood or Half-blood. Both she and Lily had proven that Muggle-borns could be as powerful as any Pure-blood, and Harry, Snape and Voldemort himself had proven the capability of Half-bloods. But in the sense that Lily was asking the question, it did matter. It mattered because she'd never be seen as an equal in Wizarding society. Not even when she married a prominent Pure-blood. There was still prejudice and ignorance.

After they spoke about Muggle-borns, Lily asked about Snape's home life, and Hermione got the impression it wasn't very pleasant. She didn't think it was as bad as Harry had it, but she could tell he didn't come from a happy family.

The conversation moved on, and Snape was assuring Lily that the Ministry wouldn't throw her to the Dementors for accidental magic when they discovered Petunia spying on them. Petunia insulted Snape, and then a branch from the tree shading the children snapped and landed on Petunia's shoulder. Hermione couldn't help but smirk. The evil bitch deserved it for the way she'd treated Harry.

Lily didn't agree, at least not at that point in their lives, and she got upset with Severus for causing her sister to be hurt (He denied the accusation, but he'd yet to learn the subtle art of lying convincingly).

A new memory formed, and Hermione followed Harry to where his mother and aunt were fighting a short distance away. Lily was apologizing to her sister for leaving and assuring the older girl that she'd ask Dumbledore to change his mind about Petunia attending Hogwarts. Then she said it. The dreaded word. "I don't – want – to – go! You think I want to go to some stupid castle and learn to be a – a – you think I want to be a – a _freak_?"

Hermione saw Harry wince at the word Petunia Dursley nee Evans had brandished him with since he was a child. They both watched as Lily's eyes filled with tears. "I'm not a freak," said Lily. "That's a horrible thing to say."

Petunia insulted Lily some more and Lily called her sister out about sending a letter to Dumbledore begging to be accepted in the school. The exchange deteriorated from there, with more tears from Lily and more vicious insults from Petunia.

Later, Snape found a crying Lily on the train, but the young girl didn't want to talk to him. He asked her why and she told him her sister was upset that she had seen the rejection letter Dumbledore sent to Petunia. Snape was his normal insensitive self, nearly saying it didn't matter what Petunia thought as she was only a Muggle. Hermione couldn't help but huff at the casual way he wrote off all Muggles.

Lily hadn't heard his muttered utterance, and was distracted by Snape's excitement at finally leaving for Hogwarts. They spoke about houses and how Snape wanted her to be in Slytherin. Hermione's eyes bugged out in shock. Lily would have been eaten alive in Slytherin. How could he want that for her? She'd _never_ find acceptance there.

There was another boy in the compartment who'd paid no mind to the other children until Snape expressed his desire for the pair to be sorted into Slytherin. Hermione felt the corner of her mouth lift at the indignant lilt in the boy's voice as he responded, "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" It was James, and the question was directed to an eleven year old Sirius Black.

He didn't smile as he responded. "My whole family has been in Slytherin."

"Blimey, and I thought you seemed alright!" exclaimed James.

Sirius finally let a grin take over his features. "Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"

Hermione giggled as James lifted an invisible sword. "Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart! Like my dad."

Snape made a small disparaging noise. James turned on him. "Got a problem with that?"

"No," he responded with the sneer Hermione was so familiar with. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy – "

"Where are you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" injected Sirius. Hermione would normally be appalled at the behavior, but she couldn't muster the righteous indignation for Snape that would have flared in her had the retort been for someone else. Instead she just smiled ruefully while shaking her head as James roared with laughter. She also realized this truly was a defining moment in history. The hatred between Snape and the Marauders was born in this moment. A hatred that led to so much senseless violence and death. For if Snape's hatred of Sirius and Remus hadn't been so complete, he may have seen sense that night in the Shrieking Shack. He may have allowed the two Marauders to use the animagus revealing spell on Scabbers, proving Sirius' innocence. Had he been conscious, he might have reminded Remus about his missed potion, and Remus could have stayed in the Shack for the night. Peter would have never gotten away in order to help Voldemort return. The "what ifs?" left a bad taste in Hermione's mouth and the smile slipped from her face. Nothing good could come from this senseless feud.

Lily wasn't amused either, and she looked at Sirius and James in dislike. "Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment."

"Oooooo…." James and Sirius imitated her lofty voice; James trying to trip Snape as he passed. "See ya, Snivellus!" a voice called as the compartment door slammed…

Hermione swallowed hard and noticed Harry do the same. She wanted to comfort him, and felt a pang of guilt in her gut that he'd spent his last moments alone in these memories, learning that his father and godfather had bullied his most hated Professor in much the same way Malfoy always bullied him and his friends. She had abandoned him in her grief the moment she saw Remus' lifeless body. Unable to reach out and hug her best friend, Hermione wrapped her arms around herself as tears made their way down her cheeks silently.

The scene then morphed into the Great Hall for the sorting. Snape groaned softly and smiled sadly at his only friend as she was sorted into Gryffindor. Snape was then sorted into Slytherin. He moved to their table, where Lucius Malfoy, a prefect badge adorning his robes, sat down next to him with a pat on his back.

The next scene showed the pair walking through the courtyard arguing about Snape's friends, Mulciber and Avery in particular. Lily called them creepy. Talk about a massive understatement, Hermione thought. Snape said they were just having a laugh, but Lily argued that they'd used Dark Magic. Snape brought the conversation back to Potter, stating that he gets into all sorts of mischief. He alluded to Remus and his "illness", which made Hermione scowl. _He can't help it that he was attacked!_

The conversation then turned to James saving Snape's life, a fact which Snape vehemently denied. Hermione knew they were speaking of the "prank" Sirius had played on Snape. The older Remus had told Hermione how Sirius had tricked Snape into sneaking down to the Whomping Willow, knowing he'd find a fully transformed werewolf that could very easily kill him.

She had been very upset with Sirius when she heard the story. Not only because it was incredibly cruel, and no manner of being a nosy greasy haired git justified placing him in that situation, but because of the potential consequences Remus would have faced had the worst happened.

First of all, his worst fear would have been realized. He had told Hermione that the worst part (even worse than the agonizing physical pain) of transforming was the knowledge that he could hurt someone, and he wouldn't even remember in the morning. Sirius had almost made that fear come to fruition. Even worse, the Ministry would have had him executed. _Put him down like a dog._ The thought alone made Hermione's heart clench. The incident had led to the biggest fight the Marauders had ever had. Both James and Remus were incredibly angry at Sirius. He'd not been repentant, and Hermione didn't think he truly was even after his stay in Azakaban. He _did_ feel remorse at the position in which he'd placed one of his best friends. He'd practically used him as a weapon and revealed his most guarded secret to their most hated enemy.

They eventually forgave him, and at Remus' insistence, Hermione came to peace with Sirius' actions. He had missed his friend, and Sirius had suffered enough. She couldn't quite work out how she felt about the incident now. It felt a bit strange to go back to being angry at someone after you'd already forgiven them of a transgression. Almost like Double Jeopardy. But the Sirius she forgave wasn't the same Sirius she now knew. She hadn't seen the cruel side of his younger self. She knew it was there, though. She decided to cross that bridge when she came to it. If she saw Sirius bullying, she wouldn't be able to stand idly by.

Hermione had only been half listening to Snape and Lily's conversation as she mulled over her feelings about one Sirius Black. She got the basic gist of the conversation, however. Basically, Snape didn't like that James had a crush on Lily and Lily assured him she thought he was nothing but an arrogant toerag. Snape was ridiculously happy at this proclamation, and the memories shifted again.

Hermione followed the group in the next memory, even though Harry stayed behind. Hermione looked back as she made her way to the Marauders, wondering why Harry had such a pained expression marring his features.

Hermione watched as Snape looked over the OWL DADA questions. He put them away just as he was passing the tree the Marauders had perched under. Snape was just minding his own business when James and Sirius stood. Hermione winced when she heard James' loud voice. "All right, Snivellus?" She knew then that this was the memory. The one Harry had seen in the Pensieve during his Occlumency lessons.

Snape reacted in an instant, almost like he was used to being attacked at random and always had to be alert. He'd pulled his wand from his robe and almost had it drawn on James, but James had already been ready before he drew Snape's attention. Snape was easily disarmed and Sirius let out a bark of laughter. Hermione frowned at the way Remus sat on the ground, not joining in the cruel taunts, but not making an attempt to stop them, either.

"Impedimenta," Sirius said, pointing his wand at Snape, who was knocked of his feet halfway through a dive toward his fallen wand.

Hermione felt a pang in her stomach as she watched Snape panting on the ground with Sirius and James advancing. All the students milling about turned to watch, and Hermione felt an angry heat creep up her face as everyone just watched the scene unfolding before them without any attempt to help the defenseless Snape.

"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" asked James.

"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," said Sirius viciously. "There'll be great grease marks all over it; they won't be able to read a word."

Several students laughed, and Hermione didn't fail to notice that Wormtail was the loudest. She remembered what Sirius had said to him in the Shrieking Shack when he begged Ron to help him. _If you made a better rat than a human, it's not much to boast about, Peter. _Peter did make a better rat than human, and there he is cheering on cruel activities that prove the validity of the statement. Activities being perpetrated by the man who made it and Harry's father. Two men she'd befriended almost as soon as she landed in this time period. Her stomach squirmed painfully as she tried to reconcile these mean, sneering bullies to the two boys who'd been so kind to her.

The way the two boys loomed over a helpless, disarmed and bound boy reminded Hermione disturbingly of Malfoy and his bookends. The sight was jarring, and Hermione suddenly wished she'd stayed back with Harry. She was sorted into Gryffindor for a reason, however, and it would be cowardly to turn back now, just because she didn't want to see the ugly truth about some of her friends' past actions.

"You wait," Snape panted, staring up at James with an expression of purest loathing. Hermione couldn't really blame him in that moment. James and Sirius were having _fun_ while _humiliating_ him in front of all his peers. This wasn't the behavior of Order members. It was the behavior of Death Eaters. How could they not see that? "You wait!"

"Wait for what?" said Sirius coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"

Snape let out a stream of mixed swear words and hexes, but with his wand ten feet away, nothing happened.

"Wash out your mouth," said James coldly. "Scourgify!"

Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape's mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, choking him. Hermione felt tears stream down her face as she watched the impotent rage and shame on Snape's face as he struggled to breath around the impediment.

"Leave him ALONE!" shouted Lily.

James and Sirius looked around. James' free hand immediately jumped to his hair. "Alright, Evans?" said James in a deep pleasant voice.

"Leave him alone," Lily repeated, glaring at James angrily. "What's he done to you?"

"Well," said James, appearing to deliberate, "it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean." Many of the surrounding students laughed, Sirius and Wormtail included. Remus didn't laugh. He sat staring at his book, but Hermione could see he knew what was happening around him. She felt anger flare up in her chest at his inaction. _Bloody coward, _she thought. _I thought you were a Gryffindor, Remus! You know it's wrong, but you do nothing! _It hurt her to think it, but she was ashamed of Remus in that moment.

"You think you're funny," Lily said coldly, "but you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."

"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said James quickly. "Go on…go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

Behind him, the Impediment Jinx was wearing off. Snape was beginning to inch toward his fallen wand, spitting out soapsuds as he crawled.

"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," said Lily.

"Bad luck, Prongs," said Sirius briskly, and turned back to Snape. "Oy!"

It was too late, however. Snape had already sent a curse toward James, a gash appearing on the side of his face, spattering his robes with blood. James whirled about, sending curse back, leaving Snape hanging upside-down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of graying underpants.

Many people cheered while Sirius, James and Wormtail roared with laughter. Lily angrily spat, "Let him down!"

"Certainly," said James and he jerked his wand upwards; Snape fell into a crumpled heap on the ground. Disentangling himself from his robes, he got quickly to his feet, wand up, but Sirius said, "Locomotor mortis!" and Snape keeled over once again, rigid as a board.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. She had her own wand out now. James and Sirius eyed it warily.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James earnestly. Hermione gasped at the threat. She couldn't believe James would hex Lily!

"Take the curse off him, then!"

James sighed deeply, then turned to Snape and released him. "There you go," he said as Snape struggled to his feet. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus – "

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"

Hermione gasped at the hateful words. She could never imagine Ron or Harry saying something so vile to her, and she knew this must have been like a knife to the heart for Lily, who just blinked. "Fine," she said coolly. "I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."

Hermione closed her eyes in pain at Lily's retort. She'd pulled the knife from her heart and then plunged it into Snape's. She understood a thing or two about being mistreated by your friends. Ron, and Harry to a degree, had been very cruel to her during their third year. Between Crookshanks and the Firebolt incident, she'd spent much of her time being ignored or worse.

Over the years, Ron had said many things to both Hermione and Harry that cut them deeply. He mostly resorted to this behavior when he was angry or embarrassed, and she knew that was the reason for Snape's retort. He'd been humiliated and dehumanized in front of the entire school. He was in a very vulnerable place, and he lashed out against the person who meant the most to him. She didn't agree with his actions, but she knew the word was commonplace in the Slytherin dorm, and that it would unfortunately be an insult that readily came to mind.

After everything she'd been through, the pettiness of the altercation made her angry. She'd been faced with death, war and prejudice from the moment she entered the Wizarding World. Her school years had been rife with real, tangible danger. James Potter didn't face a fraction of what his son faced. He'd been able to have a fun, care free childhood and school years. What did he do with his opportunity? He bullied a clearly unpopular boy, simply because he was stronger and had more friends to back him up. His actions created a bitter, angry man, whose vengeance his son was left to deal with.

Hermione watched bitterly as James shouted, "Apologize to Evans!" while pointing his wand threateningly.

"I don't want you to make him apologize," Lily shouted, rounding on James. "You're as bad as he is." Hermione agreed with Lily in that moment.

"What?" yelped James. "I'd NEVER call you a – you-know-what!"

"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can – I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK." She turned on her heal and hurried away.

"Evans!" James shouted after her. "Hey EVANS!" But she didn't look back.

James and Sirius had a discussion about Lily's reaction before James rounded back on Snape and lifted him back in the air. "Who wants to see me take of Snivelly's pants?"

Hermione dropped her head in defeat as the scene changed again. How could the sweet boy she'd befriended have such a cruel, sadistic side? Was it a Pureblood thing? Are they all cursed with it, but only the Slytherins use those of "lesser blood" to sate the urge to hurt and humiliate others?

When she opened her eyes, Hermione was again standing next to Harry. They watched as a devastated Snape tried to apologize to an unforgiving Lily. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not interested."

"I'm sorry!"

"Save your breath." Lily was wearing a dressing gown and stood with her arms folded in front of her at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. "I only came out because Mary told me you were threatening to sleep here."

"I was. I would have done. I never meant to call you a Mudblood, it just – " Hermione winced as he said the dreaded word again. She'd been well and truly desensitized to the foul insult, especially after she'd been branded by Bellatrix, but she could see the pain in Lily's eyes when he used it again.

"Slipped out?" There was no pity in her voice. "It's too late. I've made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends – you see, you don't even deny it! You don't even deny that's what you're all aiming to be! You can't wait to join You-Know-Who, can you?"

He opened his mouth, but closed it without speaking.

"I can't pretend anymore. You've chosen you're way, I've chosen mine."

"No – listen, I didn't mean – " The desperation in Snape's voice pulled at Hermione's heart strings, regardless of what a bastard he'd been to her all her life.

"– to call me a Mudblood? But you call every one of my birth Mudblood, Severus. Why should I be any different?" He struggled to respond, but Lily just glared angrily and turned back into the portrait hole.

The scene changed as the Fat Lady's portrait slammed shut. Snape seemed scared and frantic. Both Hermione and Harry felt Snape's fear creep into their own psyche, and Hermione watched as Harry worriedly looked over his shoulder as if someone could sneak up behind him.

Hermione then saw a blinding light in the space around her and Snape's wand flew from his possession. "Don't kill me!" he shouted.

"That was not my intention." It was Dumbledore. He stood before Snape with his robes whipping around him and his face was illuminated from below in the light cast by his wand. "Well, Severus? What message does Lord Voldemort have for me?"

"No – no message – I'm here on my own account!" he exclaimed. Hermione's eyebrows rose in surprise as she watched Snape wringing his hands. He looked a little mad, with his straggling black hair flying around him. "I – I come with a warning – no, a request – please – "

Dumbledore flicked his wand and the space around the pair silenced. The leaves and branches still flew through the night around them, but no noise could be heard.

"What request could a Death Eater make of me?"

"The – the prophecy…the prediction…Trelawny…" Hermione gasped. How on earth did Snape know about the prophecy? Surely Voldemort wouldn't share such information with many, if any, Death Eaters.

"Ah yes," said Dumbledore. "How much did you relay to Lord Voldemort?" Hermione gasped again. It was him. The Death Eater that overheard a portion of the prophecy was Professor Snape! Hermione felt like she'd be sick at the revelation. How could Dumbledore allow the man to teach Harry (and be so cruel to him), when the man played a part in the death of his parents?

"Everything – everything I heard!" said Snape. "That is why – it is for that reason – he thinks it means Lily Evans!"

"The prophecy did not refer to a woman," said Dumbledore. "It spoke of a boy born at the end of July –"

"You know what I mean! He thinks it means her son; he is going to hunt her down – kill them all – "

"If she means so much to you," said Dumbledore, "surely Lord Voldemort will spare her? Could you not ask for mercy for the mother, in exchange for the son?" Hermione felt her stomach lurch. How could Dumbledore speak so callously about an innocent boy?

"I have – I have asked him – " Hermione then turned her glare on Snape. He claims to love Lily, yet he'd let her son die. Like she'd be able to be happy if her son was murdered!

"You disgust me," said Dumbledore. Hermione had never heard so much contempt in his voice, and she realized Dumbledore had made the suggestion in order to point out how twisted and selfish he was. "You do not care, then, about the deaths of her husband and child? They can die, as long as you have what you want?"

Snape looked up at Dumbledore. "Hide them all, then," he croaked. "Keep her – them – safe. Please."

"And what will you give me in return, Severus?"

"In – in return?" Snape gaped at Dumbledore, and Hermione expected him to protest, but after a long moment he said, "Anything."

The scene morphed into Dumbledore's office. Snape was crying…sobbing like a wounded animal. When he looked up at Dumbledore, the raw agony on his face caused Hermione to stagger back a step.

"I thought…you were going…to keep her…safe…"

"She and James put their faith in the wrong person," said Dumbledore. "Rather like you, Severus. Weren't you hoping that Lord Voldemort would spare her?"

Snape's breathing was shallow.

"Her boy survives," said Dumbledore. Snape jerked his head, and Hermione got the distinct impression that Snape couldn't care less about the fate of Lily's son. "Her son lives. He has her eyes, precisely her eyes. You remember the shape and color of Lily Evans's eyes, I am sure?"

Hermione couldn't decide whether or not to feel sorry for Snape when he bellowed, "DON'T! Gone…dead…"

"Is this remorse, Severus?"

"I wish…I wish I were dead…" The decision was made for her in that broken utterance, and Hermione felt her heart ache for the surly man.

"And what use would that be to anyone?" asked Dumbledore coldly, surprising Hermione with his lack of compassion. "If you loved Lily Evans, if you truly loved her, then your way forward is clear."

Snape seemed to peer through a haze of pain, and Dumbledore's words appeared to take a long time to reach him. "What – what do you mean?"

"You know how and why she died. Make sure it was not in vain. Help me protect Lily's son."

"He does not need protection. The Dark Lord has gone – "

"The Dark Lord will return, and Harry Potter will be in terrible danger when he does."

There was a long pause, and slowly Snape regained control of himself, mastered his own breathing. At last he said, "Very well. Very well. But never – never tell, Dumbledore! This must be between us! Swear it! I cannot bear…especially Potter's son…I want your word!"

"My word, Severus, that I shall never reveal the best of you?" Dumbledore sighed, looking down into Snape's ferocious, anguished face. "If you insist…"

Hermione sighed sadly as the office disappeared and reformed itself. She looked over to see Harry's wide weary eyes, and again she wished that she had been there for him. She looked up to see Snape pacing up and down in front of Dumbledore.

" – mediocre, arrogant as his father, a determined rule-breaker, delighted to find himself famous, attention-seeking and impertinent – " Hermione scoffed at the rant. The man was delirious, so far off the mark.

"You see what you expect to see, Severus," said Dumbledore, without raising his eyes from a copy of Transfiguration Today. "Other teachers report that the boy is modest, likable, and reasonably talented. Personally, I find him an engaging child."

Dumbledore turned a page, and said, without looking up, "Keep an eye on Quirrell, won't you?" Hermione narrowed her eyes on the Headmaster as the scene shifted. He'd known? The whole time he'd known. Yet he still left three firsties to deal with Voldemort?

A whirl of color, everything darkened, and Snape and Dumbledore stood a little apart in the entrance hall, while the last stragglers from the Yule Ball passed them on their way to bed.

"Well?" murmured Dumbledore.

"Karkaroff's Mark is becoming darker too. He is panicking, he fears retribution; you know how much help he gave the Ministry after the Dark Lord fell." Snape looked sideways at Dumbledore's crooked-nosed profile. "Karkaroff intends to flee if the Mark burns."

"Does he?" said Dumbledore softly, as Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies came giggling in from the grounds. "And are you tempted to join him?"

"No," said Snape, his black eyes on Fleur and Roger's retreating figures. "I am not such a coward."

"No," agreed Dumbledore. "You are a braver man by far than Igor Karkaroff. You know, I sometimes think we Sort too soon…"

He walked away, leaving Snape looking stricken…

And now Harry and Hermione stood in the headmaster's office yet again. It was nighttime, and Dumbledore sagged sideways in the throne-like chair behind the desk, apparently semiconscious. His right hand dangled over the side, blackened and burned. Snape was muttering incantations, pointing his wand at the wrist of the hand, while with his left hand he tipped a goblet full of thick golden potion down Dumbledore's throat. After a moment or two, Dumbledore's eyelids fluttered and opened.

"Why," said Snape, without preamble, "why did you put on that ring? It carries a curse, surely you realized that. Why even touch it?"

Marvolo Gaunt's ring lay on the desk before Dumbledore. It was cracked; the sword of Gryffindor lay beside it. Dumbledore grimaced. "I…was a fool. Sorely tempted…"

"Tempted by what?" Dumbledore did not answer, but Hermione was examining the ring. In the center of the black stone was a circle encased in a triangle with a line through the center. The Deathly Hallows. The Resurrection Stone.

"It is a miracle you managed to return here!" Snape sounded furious. "That ring carried a curse of extraordinary power, to contain it is all we can hope for; I have trapped the curse in one hand for the time being – "

Dumbledore raised his blackened, useless hand, and examined it with the expression of one being shown an interesting curio.

"You have done very well, Severus. How long do you think I have?"

Dumbledore's tone was conversational; he might have been asking for a weather forecast. Snape hesitated, and then said, "I cannot tell. Maybe a year. There is no halting such a spell forever. It will spread eventually; it is the sort of curse that strengthens over time." Hermione groaned at the diagnosis. Dumbledore was already dead before Snape cursed him.

Dumbledore smiled. The news that he had less than a year to live seemed a matter of little or no concern to him.

"I am fortunate, extremely fortunate, that I have you, Severus."

"If you had only summoned me a little earlier, I might have been able to do more, buy you more time!" said Snape furiously. He looked down at the broken ring and the sword. "Did you think that breaking the ring would break the curse?"

"Something like that…I was delirious, no doubt…" said Dumbledore. With an effort he straightened himself in his chair. "Well, really, this makes matters much more straightforward."

Snape looked utterly perplexed, an expression mirrored by both Harry and Hermione. Dumbledore smiled.

"I refer to the plan Lord Voldemort is revolving around me. His plan to have the poor Malfoy boy murder me." Hermione's eyes widened. He'd known it was Malfoy, yet he allowed the boy free reign in the castle? Both Ron and Katie had almost died in Malfoy's failed attempts!

Snape sat down in the chair across the desk from Dumbledore. Hermione could tell that he wanted to say more on the subject of Dumbledore's cursed hand, but the other held it up in polite refusal to discuss the matter further. Scowling, Snape said, "The Dark Lord does not expect Draco to succeed. This is merely punishment for Lucius's recent failures. Slow torture for Draco's parents, while they watch him fail and pay the price."

"In short, the boy has had a death sentence pronounced upon him as surely as I have," said Dumbledore. "Now, I should have thought the natural successor to the job, once Draco fails, is yourself?"

There was a short pause.

"That, I think, is the Dark Lord's plan."

"Lord Voldemort foresees a moment in the near future when he will not need a spy at Hogwarts?"

"He believes the school will soon be in his grasp, yes."

"And if it does fall into his grasp," said Dumbledore, almost, it seemed, as an aside, "I have your word that you will do all in your power to protect the students at Hogwarts?"

Hermione fell into an empty chair at Snape's nod. He'd been protecting the students the whole time, knowing they hated him and thought him a traitor. She thought back to the bruises that adorned so many faces when they arrived in the Room of Requirement before the battle. What would have befallen her friends had Snape not been there?

"Good. Now then. Your first priority will be to discover what Draco is up to. A frightened teenage boy is a danger to others as well as to himself. Offer him help and guidance, he ought to accept, he likes you – "

" – much less since his father has lost favor. Draco blames me, he thinks I have usurped Lucius's position."

"All the same, try. I am concerned less for myself than for accidental victims of whatever schemes might occur to the boy. Ultimately, of course, there is only one thing to be done if we are to save him from Lord Voldemort's wrath."

Snape raised his eyebrows and his tone was sardonic as he asked, "Are you intending to let him kill you?"

"Certainly not. You must kill me." Hermione dropped her head into her hands as a long silence commenced, broken only by an odd clicking noise. Fawkes the phoenix was gnawing a bit of cuttlebone.

"Would you like me to do it now?" asked Snape, his voice heavy with irony. "Or would you like a few moments to compose an epitaph?"

"Oh, not quite yet," said Dumbledore, smiling. "I daresay the moment will present itself in due course. Given what has happened tonight," he indicated his withered hand, "we can be sure that it will happen within a year."

Hermione's emotions whirred inside her body, overwhelming her with their intensity. She felt anger, shame, helplessness and grief. After everything Snape had been through in his life he now had to kill the only person who ever truly knew him. One of the only two who'd ever truly cared for him. He'd ruined his relationship with Lily by calling her that foul name in his anger, and now he was being asked to kill the other.

Hermione listened miserably as the conversation continued. She felt so much sympathy for Snape; she could barely even stand it. He'd been awful to her from the moment she stepped into his classroom, but she let all of those moments go as she watched the reality of his life before her. Watched as Dumbledore begged Snape to give him a painless death. A death that didn't include Death Eater humiliation or Greyback's sadistic torments. Snape had reluctantly agreed, taking yet another burden on his shoulders.

The scene changed and Hermione then watched as the pair spoke about Harry and his mission while walking through the Forbidden Forest. Dumbledore refused to reveal all his secrets, infuriating Snape. Hermione felt her shattered nerves take another hit as the conversation continued. Snape was angry that Dumbledore wouldn't give him the same information as Harry, even though Harry was incapable of Occlumency and had a connection to Voldemort. Dumbledore, however, believed that after the possession incident at the Department of Mysteries Voldemort was afraid of the connection and would not use it.

"Lord Voldemort's soul, maimed as it is, cannot bear close contact with a soul like Harry's. Like a tongue on frozen steel, like flesh in flame – "

"Souls? We were talking of minds!"

"In the case of Harry and Lord Voldemort, to speak of one is to speak of the other."

Hermione knew what Dumbledore was saying, and wanted desperately to leave the Pensieve. She felt the bile rising in the back of her throat and was afraid she'd be sick. Harry was a Horcrux. _Neither can live while the other survives_. Harry had lived his entire life with a piece of that evil bastard inside of him.

The two argued some more before the scene changed and they were back in Dumbledore's office.

"Harry must not know, not until the last moment, not until it is necessary, otherwise how could he have the strength to do what must be done?"

"But what must he do?"

"That is between Harry and me. Now listen closely, Severus. There will come a time – after my death – do not argue, do not interrupt! There will come a time when Lord Voldemort will seem to fear for the life of his snake."

"For Nagini?" Snape looked astonished.

"Precisely. If there comes a time when Lord Voldemort stops sending that snake forth to do his bidding, but keeps it safe beside him under magical protection, then, I think, it will be safe to tell Harry."

"Tell him what?"

Dumbledore took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Tell him that on the night Lord Voldemort tried to kill him, when Lily cast her own life between them as a shield, the Killing Curse rebounded upon Lord Voldemort, and a fragment of Voldemort's soul was blasted apart from the whole, and latched itself onto the only living soul left in that collapsed building. Part of Lord Voldemort lives inside Harry, and it is that which gives him the power of speech with snakes, and a connection with Lord Voldemort's mind that he has never understood. And while that fragment of soul, unmissed by Voldemort, remains attached to and protected by Harry, Lord Voldemort cannot die."

"So the boy…the boy must die?" asked Snape quite calmly. Tears were streaming down Hermione's cheeks as she watched the dazed look on Harry's face.

"And Voldemort himself must do it, Severus. That is essential."

Another long silence. Then Snape said, "I thought…all those years…that we were protecting him for her. For Lily."

"We have protected him because it has been essential to teach him, to raise him, to let him try his strength," said Dumbledore, his eyes still tight shut. "Meanwhile, the connection between them grows ever stronger, a parasitic growth. Sometimes I have thought he suspects it himself. If I know him, he will have arranged matters so that when he does set out to meet his death, it will truly mean the end of Voldemort."

Dumbledore opened his eyes. Snape looked horrified and again Hermione's face matched his completely. She turned her gaze from Snape to Harry and watched the sadness overtake his features. He'd looked up to Dumbledore since he was eleven years old. Felt like the man cared for him. Loved him even. Now he was saying he'd only protected him so he could be prepared to die by Voldemort's hand. He was talking about Harry's death in cold, clinical terms. As if he was nothing more than the next pawn to be sacrificed in a game of chess. It was sick.

"You have kept him alive so that he can die at the right moment?" The disgust in Snape's voice matched Hermione's reaction perfectly.

"Don't be shocked, Severus. How many men and women have you watched die?"

"Lately, only those whom I could not save," said Snape. He stood up. "You have used me."

"Meaning?"

"I have spied for you and lied for you, put myself in mortal danger for you. Everything was supposed to be to keep Lily Potter's son safe. Now you tell me you have been raising him like a pig for slaughter – "

"But this is touching, Severus," said Dumbledore seriously. "Have you grown to care for the boy, after all?"

"For him?" shouted Snape. "Expecto Patronum!"

From the tip of his wand burst the silver doe. The same silver doe Hermione had seen erupt from his wand before fleeing the DADA classroom.

She landed on the office floor, bounded once across the office, and soared out of the window. Dumbledore watched her fly away, and as her silvery glow faded he turned back to Snape, and his eyes were full of tears.

"After all this time?"

"Always," said Snape.

The scene shifted again and Hermione looked up, desperately wishing she could pull herself out of the Pensieve. The sorting hat had it all wrong. She wasn't brave enough to be in Gryffindor. She wasn't brave enough know the truth about everything she'd been through. It was all a sham. A game of strategy by a man she trusted wholly. A man whom she'd told everything of her past. She'd not kept him in the dark about a thing, but it was all he'd done to them their whole lives.

The revelations continued. Dumbledore told Snape to tell Voldemort when they'd be attempting the multiple Harry mission to move him to the Burrow. Mad-Eye had been killed that night. They'd all been put in mortal peril. On Dumbledore's order. Snape had made the suggestion to Mundungus to use Polyjuice. Snape hadn't meant to curse off George's ear at all. He aimed his Sectumsempra at another Death Eater's wand hand. A Death Eater who was seconds away from cursing Remus. The curse had missed and struck George, but had done its job in protecting Remus. He'd saved Remus' life.

She saw Snape crying over a letter in Sirius' old bedroom. It was written by Lily. Signed with Lots of Love. He'd taken the page, tucking it inside his robes before ripping a photograph in two, taking the portion with Lily's laughing face and discarding the portion with James and Harry.

She saw Phineas Nigellus tell Snape they were hiding in the Forest of Dean. He'd been in his portrait when she opened her bag for something and overheard their discussion. That was the night Snape brought them the sword.

After Snape left the office with the sword, Hermione was mercifully released from the prison of memories. She promptly lost her breakfast the moment she surfaced. After vanishing her sick and using a breath freshening charm on herself, Hermione backed up against the wall of the cell and let her emotions run wild. She didn't want to think in that moment, so she just let herself feel. And cry. There was a fair bit of crying as well. She was unsure of how long she'd been in the dungeon when she finally cried herself out. All the emotions drained out of her and she just felt…numb. Sweet, glorious nothing.

She slowly pulled herself up and approached the basin. After conjuring a large vial, she tipped the memories inside and began making her way up to main floors of the castle. Classes had clearly been dismissed for the day, as there were students milling about when she made it back up to the habitable sections of Hogwarts.

Ignoring the strange stares, Hermione slowly shuffled her way to Dumbledore's office. "Sugar Quills," she stated when she reached the stone gargoyle. The statue moved aside and Hermione lethargically made her way up the spiral staircase.

She knocked softly on the office door when she reached the top of the landing, and made her way inside when prompted. "Miss Granger," Dumbledore said merrily. His eyebrows furrowed as he took in her person. She knew she must have looked a sight. Puffy eyes, messy hair, dusty clothes. She just didn't care in that moment. "What is it, Miss Granger?"

Hermione didn't respond verbally. She merely laid the vial on the desk in front of him. She'd briefly thought of keeping the revelations to herself (seeing as Dumbledore just loved to keep information to himself), but she felt Snape deserved for someone else to know of the sacrifices he made throughout the war. She also wanted Dumbledore to see himself. See what he made Snape do. What he did to Harry. She wanted him to know that _she knew_ what he was capable of.

After placing the vial in front of him, Hermione turned to leave the office. "What is this, Miss Granger," he asked worriedly.

"The memories Harry viewed before willingly sacrificing himself to Voldemort," she responded in a dead voice.

"Where did you get them?"

"Hogwarts provided them," she responded without inflection before exiting the office, ignoring Dumbledore's questioning, "Miss Granger?"

Hermione slowly made her way up to Gryffindor Tower, ignoring her friends' worried inquisition. She walked right past them, up the stairs to the girls' dorms and straight to her bed. She'd think about what she'd seen tomorrow. Quickly changing into a warm pair of pajamas, Hermione curled up in her bed and fell into an exhausted, dreamless sleep.

**A/N:**

**Hello friends! Before I apologize profusely for the long wait, I need to thank those of you who left reviews after the last chapter. They've really helped me out when I've felt stuck on this chapter. You guys seriously make me so happy! :)**

**Bluesands22, Miss momma, CullenHarry, Blitz-gurl-42, IsoldeinLove, foreversleeping (even though you didn't like the story and aren't going to continue reading it), zanahoria del infeirno, angel897, Jazmingirl, nutmeig, DamnULulu, Glorioux, Alarice, Berry, bookaddict19 (x3!), Smithback, Maryfer7, TsukiyoTenshi, honorablebede, Forbidden 1991, Jen103, Esmy, BassBillionaire, Miss. Silver Star, SiriuslyGryffindor, Monnbeam, SwishlikeaFish, klimi9, Lex Waltz, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, BidTimeGleekBTR, The Erumpent Horn, Kayleigh-FanfictionAddict-21 (x2!), theundyinglands, Astanley1991, Dissapointed, baroke, MoonNightLover, and RabxBlack **

**Now, onto the apologies. I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update. This chapter was difficult to write, and it's quite a long 'un. I hope you all like it. I was inspired to finish this baby up after reading the latest edition of _Geminus Terra_ this morning. :)**

**A lot of it is pretty much directly from the books, but I tried to paraphrase and tell portions of it in through Hermione's perception. I included some snippets of her thoughts in this chapter, but the next chapter will include a more in depth look at how she's processing what she learned. I hadn't gone into it thinking she'd get so overwhelmed, but as I went through the chapter, I realized just how much was heaped on Harry after the hellish hunt and while he was all alone. It made my heart hurt, so it turned out to be a bigger deal than I'd originally planned. **

**Also, the consensus in the reviews was to move on instead of delving into Remus' view of things, so I'll be forging ahead. If I get stuck again, I may add in an extra chapter with his side of things while I work through whatever's stumping me at the time. **

**I guess that's it. Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading :)**


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Hermione arose from her slumber well before the sun. A quick _Tempus _told her it was just past three in the morning. She sat in her bed for a few moments feeling lost, not knowing how to process the information she'd been exposed to the night before. She knew her friends would have questions, so she needed to get out of the Tower before any of them woke.

With as much energy as she could muster, Hermione gathered some clothes, threw on her robe and sneaked out of her quiet dorm. When she passed the couches in the common room, she stopped short. Remus was stretched out in front of the fire, snoring softly. She looked down at his beautiful face with an affectionate smile. He looked so peaceful when he slept.

After studying his features for a few moments, Hermione placed a short silencing charm around him so she could make it out of the portrait hole without waking him. She felt a pang of guilt as the portrait swung closed behind her, as she knew he had stayed in the common room all night hoping she'd either come back down or he'd be able to catch her in the morning. Her mind was too chaotic at the moment to face him, though. She needed some time to sort through it all.

When she reached the blank patch of wall on the seventh floor corridor, Hermione paced back and forth asking the room to provide her with a comfortable sitting room and large bathroom. She opened the door to find an overstuffed armchair placed in front of a warm fire. It was the type of cozy chair that swallowed you up when you sat down and nestled in. The very best kind, in Hermione's opinion.

She walked past the comfortable seating area to the only other door in the room. Inside the bathroom she found a giant bathtub, vanity and water closet. She approached the pool sized watering hole and started the spouts, adding various fragrances and calming oils. As she stripped off her night clothes, Hermione mentally asked the room to keep out every being except Daisy. She knew the elf worried about her and she didn't want to cause her undue stress.

As she sunk into the warm water, Hermione took a moment to relax her muscles and calm her nerves. Once her mind and body calmed a bit, she began delving into her thoughts on the memories she'd seen.

It was difficult to decide where to start, so she settled on going through each of the key players one by one. Starting with the easiest, she focused on Remus. He'd sat back and watched as his friends tormented another student. A student who was unarmed and outnumbered, no less. The inaction didn't sit well with her. He clearly knew they were wrong, yet he didn't stand up for what was right.

She'd always tried to do the right thing, even if it wasn't the easiest. The Firebolt incident was a prime example. She knew Harry would never willingly give up that broom, but it had needed to be tested before he used it. She'd been right in the end. It had been from Sirius, he just hadn't meant any harm. Still, they couldn't have known that in the moment, and she made a very unpopular decision that left her ostracized from her two friends for months. She had to make sure Harry was safe, though, and she would have done it again if need be.

Now, she knew Remus been a very lonely child, just as she had been. His situation was different from hers, though. While she didn't have any friends growing up because of her high IQ and love of books, Remus had been excluded for much more serious reasons. Reasons that would follow him the rest of his life. He'd been dealing with his illness since he was seven, and had never thought he'd find a friend, or anyone to accept him. She knew he feared losing his only friends and living a life of unbearable solitude. For that reason it would be very difficult for him to stand up to them and risk losing their acceptance because of it. She knew Sirius and James wouldn't have turned their backs on him had he stopped them that afternoon, but she also knew Remus' low sense of self-worth would make him think otherwise.

Overall, while she felt Remus should stand up for what he believes in (like he learned to do in the future), she couldn't be upset with him over his insecurities. He was a good man, even now. When Voldemort was gone, she'd spend as much time as needed to make sure he knows just how special he is.

Sirius was a different story. She'd always known he was brash and hot-tempered, but she'd never seen him be so _mean_. Sure, he liked to rile up Snape, even after everything they'd been through twenty years in the future, but, excluding the confrontation in the Shrieking Shack, he was never downright cruel to the man.

The incident after the OWLS was disturbing. Sirius and James had sought out a confrontation in a very Malfoy-esque fashion, throwing insults and hoping to get a reaction. They'd had their wands drawn before they even got his attention, ensuring he'd never have the opportunity to properly defend himself. It's nearly as bad as the time Malfoy tried to curse Harry when his back was turned in Fourth Year. In neither situation was the fight fair, and that is _not_ how a Gryffindor operates. That's Slytherin all the way.

Placing the house labels on the situation led Hermione's thoughts down a different path. The house system was the catalyst for the ridiculous feud, she realized. Being a Muggle-born, she'd not entered school having a prejudice against any house. She thought it would be nice to be either in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, but she wouldn't have minded Hufflepuff or Slytherin. After all, she fancied herself loyal and cunning as well as brave and intelligent. There is nothing that says someone who's brave can't be smart or vice versa. Nor is someone with cunning incapable of being loyal.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized the damage Hogwart's House system was doing to the social landscape of Magical Britain. Other countries don't face social inequalities to the extent one sees in Britain (Not since Grindelwald, anyway). Was it because they don't segregate their students into "houses" that dictate how people should behave for the rest of their lives? After all, how is a person like Draco Malfoy ever to see the error of their thinking if they are never exposed to evidence of its fallacy? Perhaps if he had spent more time with people like Harry and Ron, he would have seen they weren't so bad. Even if their personalities didn't mesh, he might at least have seen they weren't an enemy.

That's not what happens, though. Before her Sorting, she had overheard Ron tell Harry there wasn't a witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. Not only is the statement blatantly false (as Wormtail proved conclusively), it places an unnecessary rift between children before they even get to know each other. When the Hat places an eleven-year-old child in the house of snakes, they are practically doomed to walk down a certain path. Much the way Snape did. He didn't enter the school as a bigot. He'd been best friends with a Muggle-born, for Merlin's sake! But he'd been sorted into a house that nurtured that type of behavior. Because he wasn't exposed to other ways of thinking (his relationship with Lily excluded), he became part of the problem. Just another Slytherin who lets vicious racial epitaphs slip through their lips without a second thought. He then passes the tradition on to the next group, because there is no new element introduced to break the cycle.

The tradition of "House Rivalry", which in actuality amounts to nothing more than instant hatred for no discernable reason other than the color of one's tie, is what led to the beginning of a feud that would ruin so many lives. James automatically dropped Snape into the enemy bucket because he wanted to be in Slytherin, and Sirius followed his lead spectacularly. Snape did the exact same thing in regards to their desire to be in Gryffindor, although, if she's honest with herself, Padfoot and Prongs practically took a flying leap into that bucket of their own volition with the way they antagonized him from the moment they met.

Hermione looked at her wrinkly fingers in dismay. Hogwarts wasn't going to change a tradition dating back to the founders. Does that mean magical Britain is doomed to the infection of bigotry and violence for all time? She felt so alone and overwhelmed, with guilt licking her insides. Harry had to face these memories just before his death. He'd died for her and she'd left him to face his last moments alone. She wished he and Ron were there with her. That she could draw strength from their bravery and friendship. Nothing ever seemed insurmountable when they were together. But now she was alone. She was just one third of a trio; she wasn't mean to be on her own. As tears welled in her eyes and fell down her cheeks, Hermione longed to bury her face in Harry's neck, snuggled into his embrace while Ron patted her back awkwardly.

She allowed herself to wallow for a few minutes before taking a deep breath. She would not continue to feel sorry for herself. While she would always hold her Harry in her heart, she would fight to ensure he never had to face the fate of the first timeline. He would never know the pain of a family who didn't love him. Who abused him. He wouldn't be hunted like an animal all his life. He wouldn't be famous. He would simply be Harry. She would watch over him, and make sure he was happy, but he would never again be her best friend. Nor would Ron. They would be normal children whose greatest worry was facing a potions pop quiz, not how to stop a murderous sociopath bent on world domination. With her resolve returned, Hermione felt an internal peace in regards to her past with Harry and Ron. She would fight to ensure they didn't have to.

Realizing she'd gotten off topic, Hermione rose from the bath and dressed for the day. She needed to focus on getting rid of Voldemort before she started to contemplate altering the environment that leads to an easily exploited world of segregation and prejudice.

As she snuggled into the comfy armchair, Hermione brought her thoughts back to Sirius. She knew he'd had a rough childhood. Merlin, he'd had to grow up with a live version of Mrs. Black's portrait. She couldn't image what that must have been like for him. Because of his family's influence, he _had_ grown into a prejudiced young man, she realized. He just wasn't prejudiced against those of "dirty blood". Instead he'd channeled his disdain into a prejudice for people like them. By all appearances, Snape would fit into that category. He was dark in appearance and mood, even as a child. He'd wanted to be in Slytherin from an early age, and now he wanted to be a Death Eater.

Hermione stripped her mind of any pretense and forced herself to view the situation with complete, brutal honesty. Without the revelations of the older Snape's actions coloring her opinions, Hermione was forced to see understanding in Sirius' views, if not actions. Snape _does_ want to be a Death Eater. There is a good chance that he will _become_ a Death Eater (as Dumbledore's strategy had them taking out Voldemort mid-summer). _If he isn't already_, she thought with dismay. He was already of age, but she didn't think Voldemort was desperate enough in this time to mark students. He'd only marked Draco and his lot because of their access to Harry. He didn't have those motivations in his time. She couldn't be sure, though.

She thought back to her feelings about Draco. The trio had loathed him, but when it came down to life and death, they'd saved him. She knew Sirius wouldn't do the same with Snape. He was too full of anger toward anything he considered dark, even his own brother. _The perfect Pureblood Prince,_ he'd called him. Hermione sighed. She'd always known Sirius had strong feelings about Voldemort and his ilk. Feelings she shared. In the end, she couldn't be upset with him for that. However, if she ever witnessed his unprovoked cruelty to Snape, she'd have to intervene, friendships be damned. She'd do the right thing.

Moving on to James, Hermione realized many of the same musings she'd had on Sirius applied to him as well. The only difference is that James didn't have the excuse of a difficult childhood. From everything she'd heard from both James and Sirius, Charlus and Dorea Potter had been amazing parents. They loved him completely. _And spoiled him rotten_. That was the problem he faced, undoubtedly. Hermione realized with dawning horror that James Potter was not so different from Dudley Dursley. Instead of going Harry Hunting, he goes Snape Hunting. The thought made her stomach churn uncomfortably.

Harry told Hermione that Dudley had apologized and shook his hand before leaving with his parents to go into hiding. James seemed to go through his own maturing since his parents' deaths. She had been in 1977 for nearly two months, and she hadn't once seen any interactions between James and Snape. Perhaps James would never apologize to him (not that the man would accept it), but at least he could cease his childish bullying.

After adopting a wait and see attitude in regards to the Marauders, Hermione moved onto the second most difficult person about whom she needed to think. Severus Snape. The man had obviously had a difficult childhood, and his school years weren't looking much better. He was constantly bullied by James and Sirius, and he didn't seem to have too many close friends in Slytherin at all. He was friendly (or as friendly as any Slytherin could be) with Avery and Mulciber, but it wasn't true friendship. They'd stab him in the back if the situation called for it.

The only true friend he's had in his life is Lily. She'd befriended him before Hogwarts, and, had he not succumbed to the stereotypical Slytherin behavior, she would have stuck by him. He thought he loved her, but Hermione could see his feelings for what they were. Infatuation. Obsession. He'd clearly been starved for affection as a child, and Lily had been the first person to truly be kind to him. He became fixated on the idea of Lily his mind had created, which was not reality. The innocent affection he felt in the beginning then became twisted into something different entirely.

Selfish and possessive. _He_ knew her before Hogwarts. She was _his_. He'd proven this when he expressed his desire for her sorting. It was obvious from his previous memories that Snape was aware of blood prejudices in the wizarding world. He was the Half-Blood Prince, son of Slytherin Pureblood Eileen Prince, after all. She was cast out of her family for marrying a Muggle. Snape knew Lily would be an outcast in the house of snakes. His young mind may not have known just how much danger she'd be in, but he had to have known she wouldn't be accepted. Perhaps that was part of why he wanted her there. He'd be all she had. He'd have her all to himself.

Hermione shook herself, thinking she might be reading too much into that particular situation. Perhaps when he was older he may have been driven as thus, but an eleven-year-old child? Maybe, maybe not. She was certain, however, that he didn't truly love Lily Evans after viewing the memory of Snape and Dumbledore on the hill. Snape had tried to convince Voldemort to kill only James and Harry, sparing Lily. Her life would have been horrendous. Voldemort and his followers would have seen her as nothing more than a slave to Snape. He would have undoubtedly been forced to humiliate her publicly and make her life miserable. She would have been left in a horrible situation with no rights while grieving for her lost child and husband. Just the thought of that eventuality made Hermione shudder violently. It was unspeakable! Yet he'd begged his master to provide it. For the woman he "loved".

He also treated Harry abysmally. All he'd been able to see what James Potter. Now that she's gotten to know both James and Lily, it is glaringly obvious that Harry's personality was a rather impressive mix of both is parents. He got his father's bravery and loyalty. Both father and son would be willing to face any danger, and make any sacrifice (as James proved that fateful Halloween night) for the ones they loved. She supposed that facet of Harry's personality was most obvious to herself and Ron, who'd been the only ones close enough to truly understand the motivations behind Harry's actions. Snape just saw rule-breaking and impertinence, both of which would remind him of his hated enemy.

Harry was also kind, understanding and humble. The latter two were all Lily. Harry hated being in the spotlight. He just wanted to live a quiet, peaceful life. Sure, he loved playing Quidditch, but not because of the attention he received. Simply because he loved flying. But also like both Lily _and_ James, Harry was willing to sacrifice his own happiness and peace of mind to help others. His saving people thing, she'd called it.

As Hermione contemplated her best friend, she was struck by the fact that he was able to be such a wonderful person while infected with a piece of Voldemort's soul. Sure he could be broody and angry, especially after Voldemort's return, but he was under a significant amount of pressure. It brought Dumbledore's words from their third year to the forefront of her mind. "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the lights."

Dumbledore. He was the most difficult player to consider in all this. He'd played them. She'd spent the last seven years thinking she and her friends were truly making a difference. In reality, they were just being manipulated. Moved like chess pieces around a board placed between Dumbledore and Voldemort. It made her feel violated. Like her whole life was a lie. It also made her feel stupid. How could she think three first years defeated tasks meant to stop Voldemort himself? Hagrid had said the only thing needed to guard the stone was Fluffy, and he was right. Everything else was tailor made to allow Harry and his friends to test their strength.

The chess match was there for Ron. The logic puzzle for her. The flying keys for Harry. Dumbledore undoubtedly knew she was capable of creating the blue bell flame, seeing as how she set Professor Snape on fire with them. That's the Devil's Snare taken care of. Of course they'd already proved their capabilities against a troll. Hermione scoffed in disgust. "Keep an eye on Quirrell, will you," Dumbledore had asked. He'd known Quirrell was after the stone the whole time. How could she be so blind?

Hermione's mind then started delving into much darker thoughts revolving around Dumbledore's manipulations. The prophecy said "either will die at the hand of the other." Dumbledore was allowing Harry to 'test his strengths', content with the knowledge that Harry could only be killed by Voldemort. But what about her and Ron? They could have been killed at any time. Were they nothing more than cannon fodder to their Headmaster? Was it okay with him if she lost her life under the trap door in the third floor corridor at twelve-years-old so long as Harry Potter made it out alive?

Or worse yet, did Dumbledore know Voldemort was possessing Quirrell? Did he think it was best to go ahead and allow Voldemort to kill Harry so the prophecy would be satisfied and Voldemort could be killed in a different way? Hermione felt panic radiate through her body at the sinister theories swirling through her mind.

Without warning, the chair upon which she sat disappeared and she was unceremoniously dumped onto the hard stone floor. The moment her bare hands made contact with the castle's stones, she felt Hogwarts reach out to her rather violently. Hermione immediately felt the castle's displeasure at her previous conspiracy theories.

_Do you really think I would allow Albus Dumbledore to remain Headmaster over my children if he was plotting their deaths? He is only human, Miss Granger. He did what he had to do in an impossible situation. Harry was the child of the Prophecy. He couldn't change that any more than he could change the fact that Harry was a Horcrux. He didn't make it so, but he had to deal with the consequences. What would you have done differently, Miss Granger?_

Hermione felt thoroughly dressed down as she considered the question. What would she have done differently? Harry was a Horcrux. If he wasn't killed, Voldemort would have continued his reign of terror. There would never have been peace. Eventually the muggles would have joined the fight, ignorant of the true enemy. It could have ended in a nuclear war that would have destroyed all mankind. Hogwarts was right. She loved Harry. He was her best friend, but if she was in Dumbledore's shoes she wouldn't have been able to sacrifice the entire world for one person. Harry essentially had a disease. Like a child with a fatal illness. It's tragic, but it's life.

As her thoughts reached their conclusion, Hermione felt the castle's approval in their direction. Dumbledore did the best he could. She would never have the blind faith and trust in him she once held, but the real enemy was Voldemort, not Dumbledore. If she could put a stop to him now, Harry would avoid the fatal illness that cost him his life in the original timeline.

With the resolve in her ultimate goals returned, Hermione stood and dusted herself off. Whether or not she agreed with Dumbledore's methods was irrelevant. At the end of the day, she had faced life and death situations since she was eleven-years-old, and she'd come out with her life in every instance. She was a strong witch, and she would use every bit of knowledge and power at her disposal to protect her friends. Both those waiting for her in the castle at that very moment and those who have yet to be born.

With one final stabilizing breath, Hermione left the Room of Requirement and began the trek back to Gryffindor Tower. The common room was fairly deserted when she made her way past the Fat Lady. It wasn't exactly surprising considering the mild weather. There weren't many Saturdays left that could be enjoyed on the grounds before it became too cold for comfort.

Wanting to find her friends and assure them she hadn't completely lost her mind, Hermione ran up to her empty dorm and pulled her beaded bag from a hidden compartment within her trunk. After fishing around for a few seconds, she rolled her eyes and pulled out her wand.

"_Accio Map_," she said. Her copy of the Marauder's Map flew from the depths of her bag into her outstretched hands. "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."

She quickly searched through the folds looking for her friends. What she saw caused her breath to catch. Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin and Petter Pettigrew were just colliding with Severus Snape. The four of them seemed to have converged on top of Severus and Hermione felt her heart rate increase. "Mischief managed," she breathed before tossing the map back in the bag, throwing it in her trunk and warding it shut.

**A/N:**

**Please don't hurt me! I know it's been ages. I've had some things going on in my life lately, and I've just been so freaking busy! Things have slowed down a bit, and I'm going to try and get back into my stories. I don't know how often I'll be able to post, but I'm going to try not to let more than a week go between postings. I want to thank anyone who is still reading this for their patience and continued support, reviews and PMs. It really means a lot to me.**

**I especially want to thank those who've reviewed! You guys never fail to make me smile.**

**Rabxblack, thinkb4uact, gg70072, The Erumpent Horn, skopde, PeaceWriter99, angel897, werevampluvr, Lex Waltz, Tsukiyo Tenshi, bridgetlynn, Jenii Marie, Astanley 1991, forestreject, Just Silence, amrawo, DeanCastielSam, Auelle, Gotle, Miss. Silver Star, Harmony Goldstar, kat louise, Starry-eyed-wolf (x2!), Madipwns512, SwishlikeaFish, ExAmoreDolorem, zanahoria del infeirno, Lalina92, brucesmash, deathgeonous, HarryPotter'sGirl21, Seria Noie, AQUAVAMP, faneses (x3!), LuminousMinds, Abyss Tales, Perfect love kills all fear (x2!), Ye-Olde-Queen-O'-Darkness, Kakashisgirl2010, Uhlowl22, CullenHarry, marque1, Jules31, Chloeryn, Amortentia-Malfoy, Stormglass, Lyra Black13, ziva10, pastel, Sportypoodle, Lady Diana of the Moon, Alexandrine Jennings, lilytimes, julie662, Dira, Yeddi, MarauderHermionePotterBlack, conejito, K, BooDiamond, dante Dante, Captain Kathryn Janeway98, and 3 Guests.**

**Much love! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I know it's a bit of a cliff-hanger, I hadn't actually meant for it to be. I'd written much more, but I guess I'd saved it under two different files. At least I hope that is what it was and I didn't just lose the other half of this chapter. Anyway, I e-mailed myself the file I thought it was, as I'm at my parent's for mother's day weekend. I'm hoping the other half of this chapter (which is almost finished) is still on my computer and I'll be able to post it early next week. Please let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'd had another version of the previous chapter already completed, and I'd sent myself the wrong one. I liked some of Hermione's thoughts in the second version better, so I went back and edited it. It was mostly about her feelings on Remus' actions. I also added some paragraphs in after a review from Jenie. Thanks, Jenie!**

_She quickly searched through the folds looking for her friends. What she saw caused her breath to catch. Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin and Petter Pettigrew were just colliding with Severus Snape. The four of them seemed to have converged on top of Severus and Hermione felt her heart rate increase. "Mischief managed," she breathed before tossing the map back in the bag, throwing it in her trunk and warding it shut._

Chapter 8:

Hermione quickly made her way back out of the portrait hole and through the castle's many secret passageways until she came upon the four Marauders with their wands drawn on a disarmed and disheveled Snape, snarling questions at him. They wanted to know what he did to _her_. What on earth? They seemed to think he did something to her to cause her to flee the classroom the previous day. In a way they were right, but he'd have no clue of the connection she'd made.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she quickly darted between the four armed boys and stood protectively in front of her future Potions Master. "What in Merlin's name are you doing?!"

"Hermione! Where have you been," asked Remus. "We've been looking everywhere for you!"

"I'm sorry, Remus," she said quietly. She knew she'd have to have an excuse when she finally had to face her friends again, so she was prepared for this moment. The anger she felt at their treatment of Snape helped ease her guilty conscience. "Just before my parents died we'd taken a camping trip. While doing some hiking we came across a herd of Red deer. They didn't spook when they saw us and my parents and I were able to sit and watch them graze. Seeing Severus' patronus just reminded me of times lost and I got a bit overwhelmed. I've just needed some time on my own to think. But why are you attacking Severus this way?"

Remus started to shift uncomfortably, but Sirius was smirking while James still looked angry. "You owe me 5 galleons, Prongs." Then he looked to Hermione and said in a mock whisper, "I thought you ran out because you couldn't stop yourself from laughing at Snivellous' patronus. I mean really, a doe?" Then more loudly he viciously stated, "You're going to be teased unmercifully at your little Death Eater meetings, Snivellous."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Sirius. "Stop it, Sirius," she said in a dangerous tone.

James made a noise of disgust. "What is it with Gryffindor girls protecting this greasy haired git, Hermione? First Lily and now you."

Hermione gave both Sirius and James a hard stare. "Oh grow up, you two. I live in the real world. A world where a war is brewing and people have and will continue to die. You are practically recruiting for Voldemort by treating people this way," she said, breathing laboriously in her righteous anger.

Everyone flinched at her use of Tom Riddle's alias. Remus less than the others as he wasn't quite so surprised, but he couldn't keep the wince off his countenance. After recovering, James puffed up his chest in righteous fury. "It _is_ a war, Hermione, and the bastard at your back wants to join You Know Who! Just ask him and he'll tell you!"

Hermione thought Snape had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout this confrontation, so she turned to him and asked. "Well, Severus?"

He shifted uncomfortably before sending a glare to the Marauders over her shoulder. "It's none of your business, witch! Now give me back my wand and leave me alone!"

Hermione tilted her head and studied him curiously. She didn't want him exposed to the life of a Death Eater if she could prevent it. From what she heard, one had to perform some ghastly tasks before receiving the mark, and she didn't want Severus to mar his soul that way. She decided to try and change his mind.

Ignoring the protests both verbally, and from Remus, physically, Hermione summoned Snape's wand and then threw up a hasty shield before dragging him to the nearest classroom and warding the door shut. When she turned around Snape was eyeing her warily. She was surprised by his response to her. She'd been prepared for disdain and his ever present biting sarcasm. Having been exposed to his older self since she was eleven, this young version would have a hard time intimidating her. It didn't matter, since he didn't even try. She raised her eyebrow before slowly extending his wand to him.

He gently took the wand from her hand and gifted her with a curt, "Thank you."

Hermione felt like she'd entered the Twilight Zone. She didn't quite know how to take this politer version of Severus Snape. Grabbing his left arm, she decided to delve right into the heart of the matter. She was relieved to see nothing but pale skin when she lifted his sleeve.

After recovering from the shock of her audacious actions, Severus ripped his arm from Hermione's grasp. "Please keep your hands off my person," he snarled angrily. His reaction actually made Hermione relax. This was the Severus Snape she knew how to deal with.

"I had to know, Severus," she stated calmly. "I'm surprised to hear you want to become a Death Eater. I spoke with many of the portraits over the summer months and they caught me up on the goings on around here for the last few years. I was under the impression you'd been friends with Lily Evans." Snape made a painful choking noise, but Hermione continued like she hadn't heard it. "Do you not care about her anymore, Severus," she asked.

"Of course I do," he spat angrily.

"Then why, Severus? You do realize that Volemort and his Death Eaters would love nothing more than to see the streets painted in Lily Evans' blood," she asked, ignoring the dangerous look in his eyes at that proclamation. "Well, that is after they've repeatedly raped and tortured her broken body and she's desperately begging for death," she added as an aside.

Severus' control broke, and Hermione found herself pinned to the wall with his wand at her throat. "Shut up," he spat.

She met his gaze unflinchingly. "I wonder how they'll do it. I'm sure they'll find a way to make her desensitized body feel a bit more pain before she's finally allowed to find her peace in death."

Severus dug his wand deeper into Hermione's neck and she had to hold back her wince of pain as his eyes bored into hers. He was so close their noses touched. "They'll never touch her," he growled.

"Why? Because an 18-year-old boy asks them not to? Because you will be so powerful once you receive Voldemort's mark? Spoiler alert: Voldemort only cares about his own power. His own desires."

"Don't say His name! You know nothing about Him!" Snape had abandoned his wand and was now squeezing Hermione's throat uncomfortably, but not enough to restrict her breathing.

"So you're telling me he secretly has a soft spot for muggleborns? You know, like Lily?"

"He will spare her at my request," he exclaimed. "I will ask for her protection and He will grant it!"

Hermione looked at him like he was a particularly naïve child. "Okay, I'll play along Severus. Let's say he does grant your protection. What about Dorcas Meadows? Would you like to see her writhing under the Cruciatus? Watch her passed from Death Eater to Death Eater? Watch while they mercilessly use her body as she cries for help? Watch as, after they've covered her in their piss and ejaculate, they gut her like a fish and use her intestines to paint the floor with her blood?"

She was being intentionally harsh and vulgar, hoping to shock some sense into him. To put an innocent face on the horrific tortures that delight Voldemort's soldiers. She had to make him see.

Snape was staring at her horrified when they heard a noise in the back of the room. They both turned with their wands drawn and saw young Regulus Black vomiting in the shadowed corner. Neither had seen the boy reading in the corner of the deserted room, as he had extinguished his light and pasted himself to the shadows when he heard them enter.

Hermione quickly approached him and vanished his sick when he finished heaving. She sunk to her knees and cast the breath freshening charm before placing her hand softly on his hunched back. "Are you alright, Regulus," she asked.

He didn't answer and Hermione looked over to Snape in question. He looked just as dazed as Regulus, and just shrugged his shoulders in response. Just as Hermione turned back to him, Regulus spoke. "Is that really what it's like," he asked in a small voice.

Hermione didn't feel and joy at the vulnerability in their reactions, but she knew they both needed a serious reality check. "Regulus, Volemort wants to exterminate all muggles, muggleborns and blood traitors. He is a cruel man who doesn't really care about anyone but himself. He wouldn't hesitate to torture or kill one of his _own_ followers if it meant he gained even an ounce more power. You won't find any power or glory kissing the hems of his robes because he wants it all for himself," she finished solemnly.

Regulas watched her with both fear and contemplation in his eyes. Hermione felt her insides swirl with hope. Maybe she could save him.

"Why do you use his name," he asked with a bit more strength.

"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself. I am who I am. He is who he is. If we were ever to meet, fear would only handicap me while giving him an added advantage. What happens will happen. I plan to face my fate with my head held high."

Regulus still looked very uneasy. "It's not so easy for me, Hermione. My family is expecting me to join. If I don't, they'll cast me out. They'll disown me," he stated sadly.

"You have to make choices for yourself, Regulus. Not your parents. It's your life, and you'll be the one having to live with the consequences. But I highly doubt your father will disown you."

"You don't know them. They'll be furious," he countered.

"Furious enough to leave the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black without a blood heir? I think not. All you have to do is stall them until you graduate. Tell them you want to finish your education first. Then, after school, you will be of age and able to refuse them without also being dependent on them."

"I'll be penniless! Of course I'll still be dependent on them."

"Regulus, your brother will not turn you away if you refuse Voldemort. He'll be your staunchest ally. You will not be alone or penniless."

She heard Severus scoff behind her, but didn't take her attention from Regulus' hopeful face. "You really think so?"

"I do," Hermione said with a smile. "He'll be so happy; I know he will."

Regulus nodded hesitantly with a small, relieved smile. "So just stall until graduation? Easy as that?"

"Right," Hermione responded, hoping this would all be moot before school starts back next September.

"Thank you, Hermione," Regulus said quietly but with a huge grin. "You have no idea how much stress I've felt over this issue."

Hermione smiled widely before impulsively reaching out to hug him. She was so happy to not only give Regulus a way out, but also to give Sirius his brother back.

Regulus was stiff in her arms. "What are you doing? Why are squeezing me with your body?"*

"It's a hug, Regulus. I'm hugging you," Hermione responded sadly.

After a few moments he relaxed and returned the embrace. Hermione felt her heart melt for the boy, as she knew his cold parents had not shown him much physical affection. When they broke from the hug Regulus turned to leave the room, stating he needed to head to the library to work on some essays. Hermione let him go, knowing he didn't want her to see his emotion and that he needed time to think over what she'd said.

Severus re-warded the door after his exit and Hermione expected to see his face adorned a sneer and his mouth to be ready with some sarcastic comment like, 'How touching."

She was therefore surprised when he turned to her with a neutral expression and words with no teeth. "Do you really think Black will be willing to take in his brother? He hates all Slytherins, you know?"

Hermione sighed. "I know Sirius isn't perfect, Severus. But neither am I. And neither are you. Despite what you may think, he hasn't has some easy, princely life. His parents are abusive and he didn't grow up knowing what it was like to be truly loved or cared for. Regulus is the favored son and even _he_ didn't know what hug was, for Merlin's sake!" Severus started to interrupt, but Hermione spoke over his objections. "I'm not saying his actions are acceptable, but we have all said and done things in our lives we later regret. It's part of being human. The only way we're ever going to live peacefully is if we let go of all this hate and prejudice. If we hold onto it we're only feeding the animosity a dark wizard needs in order to take over like Voldemort has."

Severus seemed to contemplate her words for few moments before begrudgingly meeting her eyes. "I'll never like him."

Hermione laughed. "He's not for everyone, Severus. You don't have to like him, nor he you. You both just have to treat each other civilly. And before you say it, I know he's just as bad an offender as you are, if not worse."

Severus seemed to be pleased with her acknowledgment that Sirius was just as guilty, if not more so, for their feud. She saw a small smirk appear for just a second before it vanished and he was serious once more. "I was just wondering," he began, clearly uncomfortable. "You are trying to mend the tear between Regulus and Sirius. Do you think…do you think you could help me with Lily?"

Hermione sighed sadly. "I heard what happened there, Severus. While I don't approve of blood prejudices and the use of that foul word, I understand that your reaction was under duress. What those boys did to you was wrong. So wrong," she finished quietly. She had seen the memory just hours before. It was still fresh in her mind, and she again felt anger on his behalf. Severus stood across from her, clenching his fists at his sides and refusing to make eye contact.

She took a deep breath and regained her composure before continuing. "Like I said about Sirius, we all do and say things we later regret. You regretted calling Lily that word, but you didn't change your mind about joining the very movement that hopes to see her destroyed."

Severus sighed sadly. "Everyone wants somewhere to belong, Hermione. From the moment I met them, Black and Potter made it clear that it would never be with them. I have been promised my revenge on all those who have wronged me if I joined the Dark Lord. I've also been promised an apprenticeship so I can get my Potions Mastery. I do not come from wealth. I do not have the same options as Regulus," he said, his shoulders hunching dejectedly.

Hermione studied him for several long moments and he fidgeted uneasily under the scrutiny. Taking a deep breath she decided to just take the bull by the horns. She didn't know if she'd ever have another opportunity to reach him, and she didn't want to see him fall through the cracks. "Ignoring everything else, Severus, do you still want to join the Death Eaters because you believe in their cause? Because you have the same goals as they do?"

"No," Severus said with a shaky breath. "To be honest with you, your description of witnessing rape, torture and murder is terrifying. I don't even want to see Black and Potter in that situation. I'd love to see them suffer the same humiliations I've endured, but I never thought to take it that far. The thought of those things happening to Lily…" he trailed off, unable to finish the thought aloud.

Hermione smiled in relief and placed a comforting hand on Severus' arm. "You don't have to join them, Severus. My parents were well off and left me a sizable inheritance. I would be honored to sponsor your apprenticeship far away from any place Voldemort would be willing to travel to seek you out."

Severus looked at her suspiciously. "Why would you do that? You don't even know me."

"I've seen you in Potions, Severus. You're brilliant. So not only would I be denying Voldemort a powerful Potions Master, I'd also know that I played a small part in any breakthroughs you'll undoubtedly make throughout your career. That will be a rather large feather in my cap, I do believe," she responded with a wide grin.

Severus' face softened as he responded with a small smile and a dash of hope. "And Lily?"

Hermione's grin faltered as she sighed. "I'll try, Severus, but I'm not sure she's such an easy fix. She was hurt, humiliated and betrayed by someone she trusted. I'll speak with her, but I can't make any promises. I believe she'll come around in time, though, once she sees that you've changed your course. BUT – and this is the mother of all buts…she is getting very friendly with James; she accepted his invitation to the next Hogsmeade weekend. If you want to repair your relationship with her, you have to accept that he's a part of her life, and you'll never be more than friends."

Severus scowled fiercely. "He doesn't deserve her," he stated vehemently.

"Maybe, maybe not. From what I hear, he's changed a lot since his parents died. The point is that it's not your decision to make, Severus. It's Lily's. She doesn't see you that way. You're going to have to move on. Find someone else. There are other fish in the sea and all that," she responded.

"Oh, so if Remus Lupin decided he wanted to date your most hated enemy you wouldn't try to stop it?"

Hermione laughed. "If Remus wanted to snog Voldemort I'd have to let him go! I wouldn't want to be with someone that crazy anyway!"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Fine, not your enemy. Say he wanted to date Marlene McKinnon?"

"I would let him go, Severus. I love him. I'm a little upset that you've recognized this, but I do. I want him to be happy. If she made him happy then I would move on. It would hurt, but when you love someone, you put their happiness above your own."

Severus sighed. "You're entirely too noble," he responded resignedly. "And you do realize he's a werewolf."

Hermione narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "Yes, Severus. I do realize he's a werewolf. You do realize he can't control that, right? That he didn't send Greyback an invitation to come to him on the full moon when he was seven years old and bite through his flesh? You do realize it could just as easily been you?"

Severus appeared thoroughly dressed down and Hermione took some satisfaction in being able to chastise him without receiving detentions until her deathbed. "You know I'm going to be ostracized from Slytherin, don't you? This is not going to be an easy transition for me."

"Do you really want to be friends with people like Avery and Mulciber, Severus? You do know Mulciber wanted had plans to harm Lily during the duels at the start of term? James took him on so he wouldn't be able to get to her."

Severus scowled and looked away. Hermione smiled softly and reached for his hand, giving it an encouraging squeeze. "I'll be your friend if you'll have me, Severus. I won't leave you adrift alone," she responded earnestly.

"Your friends won't be pleased," he countered, focusing on the wall past her shoulder. It was clear he thought she'd abandon him for the Marauders and Lily, and her heart clenched for him. Always rejected and unloved. No wonder he turned into such a bitter, unfeeling man.

She moved slightly to her left so she could look him in the eye. She needed him to see the truth in her words. To know she wouldn't turn her back on him. "My friends aren't really my friends if they can't respect my decisions. You let me worry about that," she said with feeling. "One thing you'll learn about me, Severus, is that I am very loyal. If you truly wish to be my friend, I will always stick by you."

Severus relaxed his posture slightly and gave a curt nod. "I'd like that."

Hermione smiled and decided to throw caution to the wind. She reached out and hugged the young, vulnerable version of her surly Potion's professor. Like Regulus, and Harry before him, he stiffened at the contact before returning her embrace. She felt a pang of sadness for the boys in her life that didn't get to grow up knowing a parent's love the way she did. Yes, she'd been bullied at school, but her parents had doted on her and she'd never once felt unloved or unwanted by them.

"You'll look after Regulus, won't you," she asked as she released him from her hold.

"Of course," he responded quietly, for once not hesitating to look her in the eyes. He quickly excused himself after she voiced her thanks.

Hermione understood his abrupt exit, as he'd been through quite an ordeal that day. She felt rather drained herself and followed him out of the room, parting ways when she turned off to head toward Gryffindor Tower. Almost immediately after Severus was gone from her presence Remus was on her.

"What the hell were you thinking, Hermione! You locked yourself in a room with two future Death Eaters?!"

"Two? How did you know Regulus was in there, too?"

"We saw him come out of the room! Sirius is so upset with you! And James, too! Merlin, defending Snape, Hermione!" Hermione gave Remus a hard glare as she tried to hurry ahead of him. He, of course, matched her stride easily. "Don't you have anything to say for yourself," he demanded.

"I am not the one who should be explaining themselves, Remus Lupin, but we can discuss this when we get back to the Tower. I'd rather deal with all of you at once," she responded testily.

Remus' mouth snapped shut and settled into a grimace as they quickly made their way to their common room.

The room was still fairly deserted when they returned. None of her friends could be found lounging about, so she immediately started up the stairs to the 7th year boy's dorm. James and Sirius, as well as Lily Evans, jumped when she threw the door open and stomped inelegantly inside. She thanked the heavens to find Peter missing. The two boys immediately scowled, but Lily looked hurt, which drained Hermione of some of her anger.

Sirius was the first to speak. "What are you doing here, Hermione? Why aren't you with your precious Slytherins?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at his dramatics. "Oh, don't be such a child, Sirius. This is not a school yard game. This is war. Every one we can keep from taking the mark means Voldemort has one less wand to protect him and do his bidding. The only reason being sorted into Slytherin typically equates to going dark is because the house is ostracized by people like you, and they have no choice but to follow the path of those before them. They're not shown any other way. You boys have been helping Voldemort with your "pranks" and cruel taunts. You're creating enemies who have the potential to cause problems for you in the future. Hell, your children may even have to pay the price of your foolishness."

Sirius was truly angry now, and stood to tower over her. Remus growled behind her, but she put up her hand. She didn't think Sirius would physically harm her, but she was prepared to defend herself if need be. "So you've been here a few months and suddenly you're the expert on Hogwarts, houses, me and my friends? You don't know who you're dealing with, Hermione, and you're going to get burned. Severus is dark. He's going to take the Mark. He is the enemy. He claimed to be friends with Lily, yet he called her that foul M word. And I saw my brother leave the room before you and Severus. He's my parents' perfect son, and is looking forward to the day he can make them proud by bearing You Know Who's brand," he said, breathing heavily in his anger.

Hermione tried to raise herself up as much as she could, but Sirius was still much taller than her, so she had to speak up to him. "First of all, Severus is not going to take the Mark. He was laboring under some erroneous ideas about what that organization actually does. He does not hate muggleborns. When I explained what he was signing up for, he immediately saw the error of his ways. As for Regulus, I didn't realize he was in the room when I took Severus there. I didn't notice his presence until he vomited after I described the activities in which Death Eaters partake. He is a sweet boy, Sirius, and he needs his big brother. He's felt trapped, forced to join under your mother's insistence, while desperately wishing for a way out. I told him to put your mother off until after he graduated and then you'd help him when she kicks him out. That you'd be so happy your brother refused Voldemort. Please don't make a liar out of me."

Sirius looked as if she'd slapped him. "He said that? That he felt like he had no other choice? Why didn't he come to me?"

"He thinks you hate him, Sirius, but he misses you. He really loves you, you know," she responded sadly.

Sirius made to go around her. "I need to find him."

Hermione grabbed his arm. "Wait, Sirius. You need to understand that he is going to be at Hogwarts for two years without you. He'll need to be able to live with the other Slytherins without endangering himself. If he starts publicly talking to you, they will know something is off and inform your mother. You need to wait, and only seek him out if he's alone."

Sirius was clearly torn, but reluctantly agreed. After a few moments he pulled Hermione into a hug. "Thank you, Mione, for being there for Regulus when I wasn't. Oh Merlin, I feel terrible. I'm an awful brother."

Hermione swallowed hard. This wasn't going to be easy, but Sirius needed some tough love. He could not go on behaving the way he has in the past. "You've not been a great brother," she agreed sadly.

He let go of her like she'd physically burned him. From the look on his face she realized that would probably have been less painful. From the corner of her eye she saw an angry James approach, ready to defend his friend. She put her hand up to stop him and continued speaking.

"Not everyone can be as brave as you, Sirius. Regulus was eleven years old when that hat put him in Slytherin. He'd lived in your parents' house and heard their opinions of your sorting for two years before he made it to Hogwarts. He was undoubtedly scared of their response if both their children were sorted outside Slytherin. But that doesn't make him dark. Or bad. And he did need you."

She stopped speaking when Sirius turned from her and began to walk away. She reached for his arm and he spun around, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "I get it. I'm a horrible person! You've made your point!"

He tried to rip his arm from her grasp but she held strong. "You're not a horrible person, Sirius. I understand your hatred for the dark. I do. I hate it, too. But you need to realize that house affiliation doesn't really mean anything. It's a person's actions. Has Regulus' personality, his predilections, ever seemed dark to you?"

Sirius looked away from her earnest eyes. "No," he whispered.

Hermione hated to see the sadness creep into his features. It reminded her of the Sirius of her past, and she didn't want to see him reborn. It seemed to help with her other boys, so Hermione pulled Sirius into her embrace. He responded without hesitation, clinging to her desperately.

Hermione knew that when Sirius Black loved someone he loved them fiercely. With his entire being, never holding anything back. So she knew this was killing him. That he'd turned his back on someone he loved, thinking they didn't deserve it, only to find out he was wrong. He'd left his brother to deal with realities most only find in their worst nightmares. He was supposed to protect his little brother, and he'd failed.

There were few things that could break Sirius Black, and this was one of them. As painful as it was, Hermione knew this would help him in the end. He was broken, but he could be put back together, better than before.

With his head buried in her neck, Hermione was able to speak softly into his ear. "It's not too late to be there for him, Sirius. He's not taken the Mark. He is still free to be his own man. To make his own way. And he'll need you. He'll need your support, and your love. And I know you'll be happy to give it to him. You can still save him Sirius. But you need to start taking these things more seriously. It's not a game out there."

Sirius pulled back and held her at arm's length. "You're right, Hermione. I'll try and think before I act, but it won't be easy," he responded with an easy smirk. She rolled her eyes and his face was once more sincere. "And thank you for giving me my brother back," he said, bringing her into another hug.

Hermione returned his embrace easily. She was used to his crazy mood swings and easily followed him through it. "I'm glad I could facilitate it, Sirius. Truly."

He nodded and pulled away from her, holding her at arm's length and looking seriously into her eyes. "You're dead wrong about Snape, though. He's a bad egg, Hermione."

Hermione shook Sirius off her shoulders, annoyance returned, as James voiced his agreement. Would these boys never get it?

"So you're telling me you boys haven't played any part in the instigation of your feud with him," she asked scathingly. "I know what happened after your defense OWL. The portraits told me. He was minding his own business when you attacked him for no reason. You ensured he'd have no chance to defend himself before you even got his attention. You then proceeded to torture and humiliate him in front of the whole school while he was unarmed and outnumbered." The boys were red faced and opening their mouths to defend themselves when she cut them off.

"Before you try to defend yourselves let me tell you about my first encounter with Death Eaters." At their astonished faces she continued. "Yes, first but not last. I have not been living safely inside this castle under the protection of Albus Dumbledore for the better part of the last six years. I have seen things I wish I hadn't. Like a group of Death Eaters torturing a couple of muggles by using the Levicorpus hex. While the muggles were helplessly dangling in the air the Death Eaters laughed and proceeded to remove their pants. Does that sound at all familiar to you two?"

Hermione watched their red sputtering faces wearily. "Severus may have used that foul word, but he was pushed there." Here she turned to an upset Lily. "I'm sorry, Lily. He shouldn't have said that to you. He doesn't even believe in it himself. But he had been attacked and humiliated, and like a trapped animal, he snapped at the safest target. I'm not saying it was right. I'm not even asking you to forgive him. I'm just telling you why I'm willing to extend my friendship to him."

James moved to stand in front of Lily, fury plain on his face. "Don't speak to her! You're defending a future Death Eater! You wouldn't dare if you were truly her friend!"

Hermione calmly wiped the spittle on her face that resulted from James screaming so close to it. As she stared into his venomous hazel eyes, she thanked divine providence that Harry had been blessed with Lily's eyes. That look in eyes so similar to her Harry might have broken her, especially since she knew her next words were going to truly hurt him.

"You know, muggles have this saying: 'Actions speak louder than words.' Severus may have used the words of a Death Eater, but you used the actions. Severus Snape is the only non-pureblood in Slytherin, you know? Why is it that he is the one you target so viciously? There are hundreds of Pureblood Slytherin students whose families' pasts are drowning in darkness. Yet you single out the one whose mother married a muggle."

James took a step back, horror written in his features before it was replaced with anger and he stepped forward again. From the corner of her eye she could see the devastating affect her words were having on Sirius.

"Blood status has nothing to do with it," he vehemently denied. "How dare you?"

Hermione sighed warily as Remus pulled her back. He'd been quiet during their altercation, but was giving James a warning look. Hermione wasn't worried that he'd try to harm her physically, but she was worried about their friendship. However, at the end of the day, she had to do what was right. She'd offered Severus her hand in friendship, and she would stick by him. He had no one else, and she would not turn her back on him.

"I know you're not blood prejudiced. I just don't understand why, James? Not only is he the only half-blood Slytherin, but he was the only Slytherin who was best friends with a muggleborn. What did he ever do to you that earned him such poor treatment? There are others in that house who are very dark, dangerous and have a legitimate hatred for muggleborn and muggles. Why not go after them?"

James looked at her unseeingly for a few moments before the fight left him. His shoulders drooped and he dropped down on his bed with his head in his hands. The question wasn't rhetorical. Hermione truly wanted to know why, but James didn't respond and she didn't want to push him much further.

The silence was broken by Lily's soft voice. "I'd like to know the answer, too, James. Why did you target Severus? He was my friend, and it hurt me to see him hurt and humiliated all the time. And by someone from my own house! Someone who claimed to like me!" Her voice grew stronger yet sadder as she spoke. "You were always spouting sonnets, but you never respected me enough to be civil to my best friend!"

James' head rose in misery. "I was jealous," he admitted quietly.

Lily sputtered, "Jealous?! You went after my best friend because you were jealous?!"

James eyes fell to the floor and Hermione could see how much he regretted his past actions. "I felt a connection to you from the moment we met," he revealed quietly. "You were sitting with Snape on the train, and I wanted to impress you. At first I was just trying to be witty and funny, but I'd already had an opinion on all things Slytherin and it quickly turned meaner than I'd meant for it to. I see that now. But at the time, I was just a kid, and I just thought it was funny."

He looked up at Lily quickly before averting his gaze again. "As we got older things just got worse and I started to truly hate him. Add to that my jealousy that you liked him and hated me…It just got out of control. Then last year, it went off the rails. I finally saw that," he whispered with a quick glance toward Sirius, who looked to the floor in shame.

"Last year," Lily asked. "What happened last year?"

James shook his head. He wasn't going to throw Sirius under the Knight Bus. "It doesn't matter what. All that matters is that the incident, followed by my parents' deaths, really made me see things differently. I knew I had done things that would have made my parents ashamed, and it crushed me. That realization was followed by recognizing that you hated me because I deserved it."

Hermione's heart broke for her friend, knowing this was hurting him even more than he showed. But she knew these issues needed to be addressed. You can't crack an omelet without breaking a few eggs, after all.

Lily sat down next to James and enveloped one of his hands in both of hers. "But you've been trying, haven't you? I've noticed that you've not been bullying people lately." James winced at the reminder that he'd been a bully, but responded like a man.

"I have been trying, Lily. So hard. I want to be the type of man my parents raised me to be. Someone who'd make them proud. Someone worthy of your attention," he finished with a slight blush.

Lily smiled at him encouragingly, and gave his hand a squeeze. "I've noticed, James. And I really like the person I've been getting to know these past few weeks. The real James. Not the arrogant prat you show to everyone else," she finished teasingly, bumping her shoulder in to his.

James' smile dimmed a bit as he looked into Lily's eyes. "I am sorry, Lils. For not respecting your friendship with Snape. And for the way I treated him," he said ashamedly.

"I second that, Lily. I'm sorry," Sirius said quietly, shocking everyone in the room.

"And I'm sorry I turned a blind eye. I knew it was wrong to treat Snape so poorly, but I never said anything, even as a prefect," said Remus sadly.

Hermione smiled widely at them. "I'm so proud of you boys. I know this conversation wasn't easy, but I suspect it will pay dividends in the future," she responded brightly.

They all looked at her like she was crazy, but the door opened before they could respond.

"Hello Peter," she responded coolly as he walked through the door looking around the room warily.

"Worked everything out, did you" he asked glancing at his friends.

"Sure did. Just a misunderstanding," she said with a forced smile.

He nodded with a timid smile and turned to Sirius as he asked, "What did Dumbledore want, Petey?"

Peter scowled, embarrassed. "Just to talk to me about my Defense grade," he replied with a shrug.

Hermione's eyebrows rose. Could it be a coincidence that Dumbledore called Peter to his office at the very moment she needed to speak freely without him around? Somehow, after all she'd learned about him, she doubted it. Maybe his manipulations weren't always a bad thing after all.

**A/N:**

**I want to thank everyone who's sticking with the story after all this time! I really appreciate your support, favorites, follows and especially reviews!**

**Guest (x3!), KEZZ1, Rinou, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, sweet-tang-honney, kayla, angel897, thinkb4uact, Jenie, SwishlikeaFish, dizziestdaydream, THESE VOICES WONT SHUT UP and dark-driex-07**

**You guys rock my socks!**

***This is a reference to Arrested Development, the best show ever on TV ever. Lucille hugs Michael and he just stands there and says, "What's happening. Why are you squeezing me with your body." She responds, "It's a hug, Michael. I'm hugging you." Love that show! If you didn't watch it, you should check it out on Netflix. You won't be disappointed. And there's going to be new episodes! May 26th!**

**Please let me know what you think! I'll try to update this weekend. Thanks!**


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